Classic Recipe: 7262
The 7262 is Menghai's more refined ripe recipe, a premium counterpart to the standard-grade 7572 built on finer leaf and a lighter, cleaner fermentation. It uses a grade-6 blend (finer than the 7 in 7572) and the same Menghai (Dayi) factory code, and it is prized for a smoother, more aromatic cup with a thicker mouthfeel than the everyday benchmark. Where 7572 is the dependable daily ripe, 7262 is the one you reach for when you want factory ripe to taste a notch more polished.
A good 7262 shows a dark, clear liquor, a smooth and notably thick mouthfeel, and a cleaner, sweeter, more aromatic profile than standard-grade ripe, with less raw earthiness. The finer top-layer material is the point, so the cup should feel more refined than a 7572, not merely darker. As with any famous recipe, the wrapper proves nothing and counterfeits exist, so judge texture and cleanliness in the cup. A persistent strong pile smell or a thin, rough body undercuts the premium the recipe is meant to deliver. Look for thickness and a clean sweetness rather than aggressive earth.
7262 is a Menghai (Dayi) wo dui fermented blend that leans on finer, higher-grade leaf than the standard 7572, with a comparatively light fermentation that preserves aroma and a thick texture. The leaf-grade digit (6) places it between the everyday 7572 (grade 7) and the all-bud palace grade in the ripe hierarchy. The exact origin year of the recipe is less clearly fixed than the mid-1970s Menghai recipes, and 7262 is generally understood as a later, more premium addition to the Dayi ripe range; for practical purposes it is best read as the refined factory ripe rather than dated precisely.
Gongfu: 6-8 g per 100 ml in a gaiwan or dark clay pot, 95-100°C, one brief rinse, then steeps of 10-20 seconds extending gradually; the thicker material rewards a clean rinse and steady short steeps. Expect 8-12 infusions. Western: about 4 g per 250 ml, 100°C, 3-4 minutes, re-steeping several times.
7262 carries a modest premium over standard 7572, roughly €12-25 (about $13-27) per 100 g for recent-year production, reflecting the finer leaf grade. Aged and first-batch examples cost more.
Prices reviewed June 2026
Like other ripe, 7262 benefits from a short rest after production to settle any pile smell, then clean stable dry storage; the cleaner fermentation usually means there is less funk to air out than with coarser, more heavily fermented cakes.
Aged 7262 with documented storage commands a premium over recent production and over comparable-age 7572, since the finer material and cleaner fermentation are credited with aging gracefully; as with all ripe, the aged-collector niche is smaller than for sheng. For most drinkers it is a buy-to-drink tea with a slightly higher ceiling than the everyday benchmark.
Classic Recipe: 7572
The standard-grade benchmark; 7262 is the finer grade-6 upgrade, smoother and more aromatic with a thicker body, at a modest step up in price.
Classic Recipe: V93 (Tuo)
Another premium Dayi ripe, but in tuocha form and from a different recipe lineage; both sit above 7572 in refinement, one as a cake, one as a tuo.
Gongting (Palace Grade)
The all-bud palace grade is finer still; 7262 sits between everyday 7572 and gongting in both leaf grade and price, a refined cup that is not quite the all-bud ceiling.
Aged Shou (5+ years)
A few years of rest suits 7262's clean profile; comparing fresh to aged shows how the recipe's cleaner fermentation mellows into smoother wood and dried-fruit notes.
In the ripe hierarchy the leaf-grade digit tracks refinement directly: 7572 (grade 7) is the standard daily cake, 7262 (grade 6) the finer upgrade, and gongting (palace grade, all buds) the apex, so the numbers themselves sketch the ladder from everyday to refined.