Got the pu-erh bug

[Greyfox]

I have been bitten by the Pu-erh bug after a few weeks of enjoying some very good oolongs and some very good blacks. I ordered a raw sampler that includes 2000 and 2003 Yong Pin Hao Yi Wu Zheng Shan Stone-pressed and a 2003 Yong Pin Hao Man Zhuan Mountain Wild Arbor. I also order a 2010 Dayi Cong Tuo ripe for comparison. I have read as much as I can find on the internet regarding pu-erh and still have some questions. I understand that young raw pu-erh is very bitter. Can someone please tell me what is the minimum age that you can enjoy these teas? Looking forward to the the experience.

 

[P_K]

I drink young puerh as much as semi-aged. It depends on the tea. Chopped leaf from Menghai or Xiaguan can be bitter...but that can be mitigated by using less leaf. Yunnan Sourcing's young puerhs come from older tea trees and can be quite nice upon release. Yunnan Sourcing and Cha Wang Shop have samples...which is a good way to explore.

 

[grasshopper]

PK's reply is excellent. Pu'er is great fun in part because of the vast depth and breadth. Nascent pu'er can be very enjoyable. In fact, adolescent pu'er--in its teens--can be more problematic. There's something freaky, trippy, and mind-blowing about closing your eyes and parsing the flavors of pu'er.Tea is really incredible--just one type, pu'er, can contain so much variation. Have fun! ~grasshopper

 

[netsurfr]

I agree completely with P_K and grasshopper.
While some young green pu-erh can be astringent, that can be balanced by being careful with the tea quantity and the brewing time.
Rough tea (or maocha), the base material for pu-erh varies greatly depending on whether it comes from plantation tea for from high-mountain tea trees. The more expensive teas are made from high-mountain tea trees and have the most mellow taste as a young green pu-erh tea. Most tea factories "cut" their high-mountain teas with plantation teas to keep the costs down and then claim to have wild arbor teas, old arbor tea, wild tea tree tea, or some such description. It is rare to find tea that is entirely from old or ancient tea trees and you should expect to pay a higher price. However, the price is worth it IMHO.
Experiment and have fun!

 

[Greyfox]

Thanks for all the replies. As you know Steve my orders came from you so I will be seeking buying advice as I get a bit more sophisticated with this.

 

[Proinsias]

Can't add much to what has been said but I'll try to add a little.

Buy a little aged sheng from reliable sources. It's great and will give you a better picture of what shu is trying to imitate, and sheng has the potential to become. A few grams or ounces of aged sheng should be on every pu'erh starter list. Loose leaf and samples of tuo's tend to be more economical and will give a good idea of the genre.
David, Guang and Tim are all reliable sources in my experience:

http://www.essenceoftea.co.uk/tea/puerh-tea/aged-puerh.html
http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=38
http://www.themandarinstearoom.com/1985-Loose-Menghai-8582-Raw-Puerh_p_1.html

Pu-erh.net has been idle for some time but there's a wealth of info there if you are interested in reading about pu-erh, a lot that info is lurking in old forum posts. Clouds, who knows a thing or two about pu-erh, used to post there. Which was nice.
http://www.pu-erh.net/

 

[EricBNC]

I agree completely with P_K and grasshopper.
While some young green pu-erh can be astringent, that can be balanced by being careful with the tea quantity and the brewing time.
Rough tea (or maocha), the base material for pu-erh varies greatly depending on whether it comes from plantation tea for from high-mountain tea trees. The more expensive teas are made from high-mountain tea trees and have the most mellow taste as a young green pu-erh tea. Most tea factories "cut" their high-mountain teas with plantation teas to keep the costs down and then claim to have wild arbor teas, old arbor tea, wild tea tree tea, or some such description. It is rare to find tea that is entirely from old or ancient tea trees and you should expect to pay a higher price. However, the price is worth it IMHO.
Experiment and have fun!

Do you run JAS-E Teas?

Steve, clean out your pm's - your mailbox is full - I think I just ordered from you recently too.

 

[Greyfox]

Well I sampled my first pu erh last night. It was 2010 Dayi Cong Tuo ripe and I must say that I am hoping that the shengs will be better than I found the shou. Otherwise my venture into pu erh will be very short lived. Did not like the 2010 Dayi Cong Tuo ripe at all. No redeeming flavors or sensations that I could detect.

 

[Doc4]

Do you run JAS-E Teas?

Steve, clean out your pm's - your mailbox is full - I think I just ordered from you recently too.

Yes, he's the chap who runs JasE-tea.

You can always shoot him an e-mail ... I think the e-mail address is on the website.

 

[nff]

yea sheng will be more palateable
they dont taste like your drinking a stick.

 

[Proinsias]

Well I sampled my first pu erh last night. It was 2010 Dayi Cong Tuo ripe and I must say that I am hoping that the shengs will be better than I found the shou. Otherwise my venture into pu erh will be very short lived. Did not like the 2010 Dayi Cong Tuo ripe at all. No redeeming flavors or sensations that I could detect.

I've not had that particular shu, but 2010 is still pretty young for shu, overpowering pond water is rife, though there are some good shu's out there I prefer 4 or 5 years old at least. I've got some 08/09 Mennghai shu waiting around, I taste it every so often but it clearly needs more time. You may prefer young sheng, you may not. I don't mind it once in a while but I'm really hoping to taste something with overpowering bitterness in the hope that it will still have some character in 20yrs. They say the 50's red marks and other classic cakes were really unpleasant to drink for a long time.

I would again urge you not to decide pu-erh isn't for you based on some samples from the last decade. If you like them, great & your wallet's safe, if you don't there's still a whole world of pu-erh out there.

If you've got any of the dayi ripe left try rinsing it a few times before brewing. I've had some funky tasting shu that turned out to be rather palatable after 4 or 5 quick rinses.

 

[EricBNC]

Yes, he's the chap who runs JasE-tea.

You can always shoot him an e-mail ... I think the e-mail address is on the website.

Thanks - I did get in contact with him today.

 

[netsurfr]

Hi Eric. Yes, I run the store. Thanks for the heads-up on my PMs. My message limit recently changed due to a change in status. I will take care of that!

Do you run JAS-E Teas?

Steve, clean out your pm's - your mailbox is full - I think I just ordered from you recently too.