Starting out with Pu Ehr

[SliceOfLife]

Ok I've tried about eight raw pu ehr's now. So far all have been nice with the exceptions:

http://www.jas-etea.com/products/20...ang-&-Man'E-Ancient-Arbor"-tea-%2d-400-g.html

I tried this stuff twice, 10 infusions each time. My water is consistantly 208 F. I know the review says to brew around the bitterness... How? I tried long steep times, short steep times. The tea consistently tasted varying levels of weak and always bitter. Other teas got bitter if I let them infuse too long. This stuff was bitter the second the water hit the leaves. The first 4-5 infusions were almost undrinkable to me. After that the bitterness faded enough it was "ok", but there was no real flavor. Maybe mild asparagus. It tasted very "green". Is this a tea that just demands aging?

The other exceptions are the two Xianguan (both 2008's)

http://www.jas-etea.com/products/20...ium-Raw"-Pu%2derh-tea-cake-%2d-357-grams.html

http://www.jas-etea.com/products/-2..."Mushroom-Tuo"-Raw-Pu%2derh-tea-%2d-250g.html

Both are VERY tasty. I prefer the Mushroom Tuo between them. Not being familiar with Pu Ehr, I'd relate them to very mild and delicious oolongs. Both are just way ahead of the others I've tried so far.


Any ideas, recommendations, or thoughts from the more experienced Pu Ehr drinkers?

 

[jwhite]

Assuming you bought the bing, as opposed to the sample, do your best to keep the leaves intact as you separate them from the cake. The more broken the leaf the more bitter the brew. I don't brew most of my young sheng at that high a temp. Try at around 175 with 5grams, give or take, per 100ml. Give it a brief rinse, allow it to rest a moment and start with short infusions. There are a lot of variables to play around with but start with a lower temp and being careful with the leaf.

 

[JPDyson]

Mmmm, Xiaguan... love it.

 

[ouch]

I love that mushroom tuo.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Assuming you bought the bing, as opposed to the sample, do your best to keep the leaves intact as you separate them from the cake. The more broken the leaf the more bitter the brew. I don't brew most of my young sheng at that high a temp. Try at around 175 with 5grams, give or take, per 100ml. Give it a brief rinse, allow it to rest a moment and start with short infusions. There are a lot of variables to play around with but start with a lower temp and being careful with the leaf.

Nah I got the sampler. I will try your recommendations.

 

[jwhite]

Nah I got the sampler. I will try your recommendations.

Hope it helps. And that's what samplers are for, glad you won't feel compelled to muscle through a bing that's not your cup, and I know there are teas I didn't care for at first but as my experience with a given type grew so did my enjoyment.

 

[Proinsias]

It tasted very "green". Is this a tea that just demands aging?

Possibly, not tried that one but wild lao ban zhang that young should be very strong stuff. Leave it for while to age and perhaps allow your palate to entertain more bitterness. As it tastes quite green try brewing it more like green, cooler water, in the mean time.

Reports of the classic cakes from the fifties say that they were pretty much undrinkable due to the bitterness at first. I've not had a chance to drink any of them but by most accounts they are now splendid.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Possibly, not tried that one but wild lao ban zhang that young should be very strong stuff. Leave it for while to age and perhaps allow your palate to entertain more bitterness. As it tastes quite green try brewing it more like green, cooler water, in the mean time.

Reports of the classic cakes from the fifties say that they were pretty much undrinkable due to the bitterness at first. I've not had a chance to drink any of them but by most accounts they are now splendid.

Very neat. Yeah. It's like a VERY green green. Like some of the older (older leaves) Japanese greens. Very grassy and bitter. Still haven't tried the recommendations, I'll give it a shot on my next day off.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Cooler water seems to be doing the trick with the Ancient mix mentioned above. It's just got a hint of bitter now, but the flavor is still a bit too mild for me. I could see people liking it now at least. Thanks for the help.

Not actually my day off... I'm sick.

 

[netsurfr]

Good day to drink tea!

 

[SliceOfLife]

Better day is my day off. On my day off I get to go to the Post Office and pick up this...

My raw collection... One beeng is from a previous order, but the rest arrived today. And I'm glad I snagged that teapot before you pulled it, it's a beauty, and the size and weight eases my mind. The first pot I feel the need to be a little delicate with, this one feels like a nice sturdy teapot to me. The green is seasoned with Raw's so this'll be my Cooked pot. So far I find the cooked ones much more consistent between those I've tried and they seem to handle overheating and overinfusing a bit better, but they don't seem to last as many infusions (as raw pu ehr) and the consistency also means they don't seem to have a broad of a flavor profile as the raws. Both have their place.


I'm seasoning the new pot now, while I try the 2009 Yunnan.

 

[JPDyson]

All... that.. Xiaguan...

 

[netsurfr]

I love that pot. Need to get some more of those in the inventory so I can keep one for myself!

 

[SliceOfLife]

Do you ever break up Beengs and then age them or is it better to age them whole in wrapping? What effect does, for instance, splitting the Beeng in half (top and bottom as in your videos) have on aging?

 

[netsurfr]

That's an excellent question. I need to do some research and get back to you. I have noticed that the maocha (unpressed pu-erh) that I have from 2007 has a very mature taste compared to other 2007 compressed teas that I have. However, it is also old arbor tree pu-erh from high in the mountain villages and that may have something to do with it also. If Hobbes is following this thread, he would most likely know.

 

[JPDyson]

Generally, I'd think it might help some highly-compressed beengs. It's been said that their compression slows aging. I can't honestly say from experience, but it stands to reason that it would improve more rapidly.

 

[Proinsias]

Hopefully grasshopper will chime in too as I recall him talking of being a few years into such experiments, and that was a few years ago, breaking up one of identical pairs and tasting periodically. I think the general idea is that the harder the compression the slower the aging. Leaving the tea as maocha or breaking it up will speed up the aging process but an aging process is not always something best done quickly.
The environment the tea is stored is probably going to have as much of an impact as the level of, or lack of, compression in use

 

[SliceOfLife]

Killing off that ancient blend sampler I mentioned above. First 5 infusions were what I expected. By # six I was sick of letting the water sit to cool, so I did a refill right from the boiler. This infusion is actually sweet, like I thought I must have spilled something in the cup sweet. Crazy stuff this tea.

 

[ouch]

Just keep trying different ones until you find what you like.

 

[JPDyson]

I want to raid ouch's house.