Just had my first Puerh session...

[alexo]

After I found a Yixing teapot at the supermarket, I also found one cooked Puerh bag, filled with small cakes. I had to try one so started the whole process and finally put one cake in.
First steep out after about 15 seconds.
Second steep 20 sec. came out really dark and tasted very green. It was almost thick like soup.
Third steep 20 sec. about the same as the second with a tiny bit nuttiness and sweetness but still dry and green.
Forth steep came out brighter and less concentrated.

Than I looked carefully at the bag and underneath it, I found a small print saying its from 2008 harvest...I'm still disappointed that it tasted so green, earthy and frankly, not worth drinking for at least 7 years minimum in my estimation.

Is this normal for cooked Puerh to taste so bad when young (it didn't even taste like tea of any kind)? or did I do something wrong?

 

[ouch]

When pu'er is "cooked", the intent is to render it ready to drink now by simulating a long aging process. A 2008 should be ready to drink, even if it will improve with time. More than likely, the sample you tried was just crap, as are most of the mini products. Don't despair- that's happened to us all. More than any other tea, a person's first experience with pu'er usually ranges from poor to truly ghastly.

There's a very good reason why pu'er is the most collectible tea, but you may have to feel your way around a bit before you get an inkling of its potential, which can be considerable.

 

[arghblech]

Ouch said it all. My first puerh session was in a tea shop and they served the mexican dirt weed of cooked pu. It tasted like fertilizer and mushrooms filtered through a dirty gym sock. Even my worst pu is better than what they served me. I knew it had to get better.

 

[_JP_]

The mini toucha can be tricky! Did you brew it in a small yixing? Some taste better when brewed with 6 to 8 ounces of water for a few minutes instead of using the gong fu style.

 

[alexo]

The store I bought it from is supposed to carry good stuff so I was under the assumption they tested it. I hope I won't get such a bad performance from the order I made.

The mini toucha can be tricky! Did you brew it in a small yixing? Some taste better when brewed with 6 to 8 ounces of water for a few minutes instead of using the gong fu style.

You may be on to something as it states on the package to steep that micro-cake in 1 Liter of water for several minutes after the short steeping for waking the leaves up. However, on this site, on youtube and other sites as well, I found the 30 seconds plus/minus 10 instructions.

I'm going to try it and I'll even scream at the leaves to wake up, just to make sure .

 

[netsurfr]

I have never tried the mini ripe tuo. Seems like a lot of folks report relatively bad experience with these. I think I will keep them on my avoid list. I briefly thought about stocking them in the web store once... then, I gained my sanity.