Menghai Dayi 7542

About the tea

The 2008 Menghai Dayi 7542 is an aged factory sheng puerh and an opportunity to explore one of the most important recipes in the history of the category. For decades, 7542 has remained a reference point against which other factory shengs are compared, combining the recognizable style of Menghai Tea Factory, a carefully structured blend, and the capacity to develop with age. Nearly two decades from pressing make the 2008 production particularly interesting for observing how a classic recipe changes over time.

The history of 7542

The 7542 recipe was established in 1975 and became one of the best-known products of Menghai Tea Factory, which later produced tea under the Dayi brand. Its arrival marked an important stage in the development of standardized factory puerh: a consistent blending model made it possible to reproduce a recognizable style across different years while still leaving room for the natural distinctions between harvests and productions.

The four digits identify the recipe rather than the production date of a particular tea. In the traditional reading, 75 refers to the recipe’s creation in 1975, 4 to the principal leaf grade within the blend, and 2 to the historical code assigned to Menghai Tea Factory. This is why the production year matters alongside the 7542 number: our tea was made in 2008.

Material and production

Classic 7542 is built from a blend of sun-dried Yunnan large-leaf tea material. Sturdier leaf forms the inner structure of the pressing, while younger leaves and buds are arranged nearer the surface. This construction combines aroma, the defined character of young sheng, and sufficient strength for continued ageing. The 2008 tea was originally released as a traditional compressed cake weighing 357 g; we divide it into convenient 50 g portions for sale.

Why this tea matters

7542 is a fitting introduction to classic factory sheng puerh and a useful reference for comparing other recipes, production years, and storage styles. For an experienced drinker, it offers a chance to follow the development of a famous formula, while the 50 g format provides enough tea for several complete sessions without committing to a whole cake.

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