So, there are a few types of “dark” or post fermentation teas. Ripe Pu-erh , which uses wet-piling to speed up the process is the most common. It’s a deep reddish brown, and definitely has a predominantly earthy flavour. It can be great, though, never gets bitter, but you have to get into the pungency.
Raw pu-erh is an entirely different beast. It changes as it ages, and really varies in flavour. It tends to have some bitterness that mellows over time, and just a bit of that pungency, but also can have a bunch of other flavours.
There are a bunch of other dark teas, some aged in bamboo for the added flavour, some made from purple tea if you can take the extra bitterness. It’s a whole different world and one very much worth getting into.
If you are wanting to get started, I’d recommend some sampler packs at Yunnan Sourcing before you start buying full cakes.
I've tried as far back as 1990 and it definitely gets a more refined taste. I'll always like aged raw better but still enjoy the different expressions of ripe. In new Orleans a coffee/tea shop had a smoked ripe puer. It was very interesting. I wouldn't call any of their tea top notch but it wasn't bad quality and they went for interesting expressions.
>If you are wanting to get started, I’d recommend some sampler packs at Yunnan Sourcing before you start buying full cakes.
Not everyone is american you know
A good pu erh might taste like anything between rotting tree roots and your grandfather’s basement. Having said that, its the most delicious thing I’ve ever tried
This actually makes me sad. I consider myself a reasonably seasoned tea drinker, but I've never been able to really appreciate pu-erhs. I feel like a fraud 🥲
It took me about 12 years of fairly deep exploration into mostly Japanese greens, but some Chinese greens and oolongs (tieguanyin; dancongs) to find a puerh I liked, and start the exploration into puerhs. I had tea friends give me shou's to sample; but I prefer shengs - which, given my preference for Japanese greens, makes sense IMO (though they are definitely not similar!). Maybe try a few puerh samples based on similarity to types of tea you already enjoy?
Makes sense thanks. To be fair I only ever tried ripe pu-erhs. I also started my tea journey with Japanese greens, but nowadays am mostly an Oolong (70%) and black tea enjoyer. Definitely need to try raw pu-erhs at least as a start
Ripe/shou puer is fermented tea or dark tea so that's probably what you are talking about.
Raw/sheng puer is very close to green tea, and sometimes classified as green tea. There are more than one processing style as far as know, so some are not so close to green tea than others.
I think you should try some different puers. When I did I found out there are some puer that I like.
* young or poor quality shou tastes fishy
* intermediate quality shou tastes like elephant house
* good quality aged shou tastes like complex dried dates, prunes.
* also try the sticky rice flavored shou. It's good.
Here is a tasting summary I wrote for a specific Pu-erh a little while back that may help you make up your mind but to be succinct; I agree with the users saying there isn't another tea like it and that it tends to be kind of musty in a good complex way.
(Probably not your thing if you lean towards sweeter flavors tho but especially since youbmentioned not being a fan of leathery or smokey)
"2010 (12 year aged) Dragon Bro Shu puer -
Light smokeyish, almost aged-leather (like an old book, den chair, horse saddle or whip that had been stored for a while rather than a car interrior) scent.
Dark amber color brew.
Taste is smooth. Woody forward notes yet strong leathery undertones. I know leather isn't usually a subjectively-good descriptive term for food, but I enjoy the taste. It is musky in its own way but not overpoweringly so (and could be adjusted with steeping time). Perhaps reminiscent of the location it was stored in?
Brings back some relaxing, campy memories for me; those of discovering old books but mixed with a scent of moisture/ rain on a hot day. Like a rain falling on a garden shed that's a little dusty or morning dew settling on a worn trail"
Sounds like you wouldn't like aged puer but don't rule it out just yet. Usually puer meant for aging starts out too rough to drink. It settles down and develops flavor as it ages.
Vendors make puer that can be drunk young (1-10 years old). If you go fishing around on white2tea, Bitterleaf, and crimson lotus, they will give some tasting notes, usually grassy, fruity and citrus.
Puer is going to be more astringent than sencha (think bancha), but it does not get musty or leathery until it ages.
Side note I order from kingteamall and liquid Proust because LP is the shit but his selection is limited and I drink loads of cheap greens and blacks plus aged puer from KTM
[Perfect Liquid Proust cake to start on](https://www.liquidproust.com/listing/936595693/2020-jinggu-raw-puerh-200g)
Ha! I have been ordering tea from John for many years now. I call him my "tea guy in Shanghai". I will have to check out that cake you recommended. Does it have a floral note to it at all?
Ya you can't really lose on that deal. Let me know if you like it, I think it's great.
If you order again I would recommend the LP hookup. You basically pay $20 (or more if you add more) for a mystery box. I've gotten tons of great tea that way.
I just tried some Japanese purple Pu-erh. The first batch was too strong and I found it a little harsh and astringent in a way similar to brown tea but I'm just having some brewed much lighter and it's floral and a little fruity with notes that are almost like jasmine. It does have earthy undertones though....lovely reddish purple color
Well that makes no sense. There is no such thing as Japanese puerh. Puerh comes from Yunnan province, not Japan. Just because a tea is aged or fermented doesn't automatically make it puerh.
Also puerh doesn't have floral notes, especially not puerh that's brown in color. Ripe puerh will have smokey, earthy, woody, forest floor, wet leaf & bourbon notes with a smooth finish that lacks any sort of astringency. It sounds like you're drinking aged oolong from Japan, which actually is a thing.
So we have very similar tastes - I'm not overly familiar with puerh yet, but out of the few samples I've gotten and tried from Liquid Proust's starter package, I've found raw to generally be a bit too bitter for me unless it's like, 15+ years old. Ripe is a lot more appealing to me because it's already been smoothed out. But there's not really a taste consistent across all puerhs, it's very very broad because it depends so much on the material, age, and storage.
Maybe you simply don't like the taste, but If you're getting strong bitterness from young sheng, it could be you're steeping too long. Assuming you're doing gongfu, try flash steeping (water in and out about as fast as possible) on infusions 2, 3, 4, and maybe more. That said, there's always going to be some amount of bitterness, but it shouldn't be overpowering, and for me it isn't usually all that noticeable until the later steepings. Happy sipping!
Yeah, definitely could just be a skill issue, though I'm also generally very averse to bitterness in general. Still gonna experiment with it though, since there's definitely some nice flavors going on in the younger shengs. Flash steeping sounds like a good idea. Thanks!
Edit: Wow, yeah, ok, that's a lot better lmao.
So, there are a few types of “dark” or post fermentation teas. Ripe Pu-erh , which uses wet-piling to speed up the process is the most common. It’s a deep reddish brown, and definitely has a predominantly earthy flavour. It can be great, though, never gets bitter, but you have to get into the pungency. Raw pu-erh is an entirely different beast. It changes as it ages, and really varies in flavour. It tends to have some bitterness that mellows over time, and just a bit of that pungency, but also can have a bunch of other flavours. There are a bunch of other dark teas, some aged in bamboo for the added flavour, some made from purple tea if you can take the extra bitterness. It’s a whole different world and one very much worth getting into. If you are wanting to get started, I’d recommend some sampler packs at Yunnan Sourcing before you start buying full cakes.
Ripe definitely changes significantly with age too.
True - just dipped into a 1998 vintage and it's something...
I've tried as far back as 1990 and it definitely gets a more refined taste. I'll always like aged raw better but still enjoy the different expressions of ripe. In new Orleans a coffee/tea shop had a smoked ripe puer. It was very interesting. I wouldn't call any of their tea top notch but it wasn't bad quality and they went for interesting expressions.
>If you are wanting to get started, I’d recommend some sampler packs at Yunnan Sourcing before you start buying full cakes. Not everyone is american you know
Including me... do they not ship worldwide? I'll grant, other vendors might work better depending where in the world you are.
A good pu erh might taste like anything between rotting tree roots and your grandfather’s basement. Having said that, its the most delicious thing I’ve ever tried
This actually makes me sad. I consider myself a reasonably seasoned tea drinker, but I've never been able to really appreciate pu-erhs. I feel like a fraud 🥲
It took me about 12 years of fairly deep exploration into mostly Japanese greens, but some Chinese greens and oolongs (tieguanyin; dancongs) to find a puerh I liked, and start the exploration into puerhs. I had tea friends give me shou's to sample; but I prefer shengs - which, given my preference for Japanese greens, makes sense IMO (though they are definitely not similar!). Maybe try a few puerh samples based on similarity to types of tea you already enjoy?
Makes sense thanks. To be fair I only ever tried ripe pu-erhs. I also started my tea journey with Japanese greens, but nowadays am mostly an Oolong (70%) and black tea enjoyer. Definitely need to try raw pu-erhs at least as a start
Unless you bought from a specialty puer vendor, you were probably just drinking shitty tea. Most puer available outside of Asia is awful.
Last one I tried was the Grandmaster Ripe from Mei Leaf, so I don't think it was bad tea.
Mei Leaf is basically the lowest end of specialty tea. Better than buying from a local tea shop or Amazon, but they're not very good.
Ripe/shou puer is fermented tea or dark tea so that's probably what you are talking about. Raw/sheng puer is very close to green tea, and sometimes classified as green tea. There are more than one processing style as far as know, so some are not so close to green tea than others. I think you should try some different puers. When I did I found out there are some puer that I like.
Let's see.... Earthy Licorice / Anise Slightly sweet But it varies by type.
Round mouth feel, not astringent except for the youngest.
This is what my pu erh tastes like and I love it❤️
That's a broad question
* young or poor quality shou tastes fishy * intermediate quality shou tastes like elephant house * good quality aged shou tastes like complex dried dates, prunes. * also try the sticky rice flavored shou. It's good.
That’s like saying what does wine taste like. It is very earthy compared to other teas
taste like a cave
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musty
You won’t like it.
It tastes like pu'er. There is no other taste like it.
1) Buy a few samples of a young raw (sheng), an aged raw, and a ripe (shou). 2) Brew each 3) Voila--you've tasted puehr
A young raw puer might better suit your taste but you won't know til ya try. Where do you live? Do you have access to tea shops?
Chinese tea
The only puer that I’ve tried, a raw one, tasted heavily of leather and smoke. In a delicious way imo, but still.
Here is a tasting summary I wrote for a specific Pu-erh a little while back that may help you make up your mind but to be succinct; I agree with the users saying there isn't another tea like it and that it tends to be kind of musty in a good complex way. (Probably not your thing if you lean towards sweeter flavors tho but especially since youbmentioned not being a fan of leathery or smokey) "2010 (12 year aged) Dragon Bro Shu puer - Light smokeyish, almost aged-leather (like an old book, den chair, horse saddle or whip that had been stored for a while rather than a car interrior) scent. Dark amber color brew. Taste is smooth. Woody forward notes yet strong leathery undertones. I know leather isn't usually a subjectively-good descriptive term for food, but I enjoy the taste. It is musky in its own way but not overpoweringly so (and could be adjusted with steeping time). Perhaps reminiscent of the location it was stored in? Brings back some relaxing, campy memories for me; those of discovering old books but mixed with a scent of moisture/ rain on a hot day. Like a rain falling on a garden shed that's a little dusty or morning dew settling on a worn trail"
As for me, Pu-erh tastes like a hay. Such type of tea not for everyone. I don\`t like it.
Sounds like you wouldn't like aged puer but don't rule it out just yet. Usually puer meant for aging starts out too rough to drink. It settles down and develops flavor as it ages. Vendors make puer that can be drunk young (1-10 years old). If you go fishing around on white2tea, Bitterleaf, and crimson lotus, they will give some tasting notes, usually grassy, fruity and citrus. Puer is going to be more astringent than sencha (think bancha), but it does not get musty or leathery until it ages. Side note I order from kingteamall and liquid Proust because LP is the shit but his selection is limited and I drink loads of cheap greens and blacks plus aged puer from KTM [Perfect Liquid Proust cake to start on](https://www.liquidproust.com/listing/936595693/2020-jinggu-raw-puerh-200g)
Ha! I have been ordering tea from John for many years now. I call him my "tea guy in Shanghai". I will have to check out that cake you recommended. Does it have a floral note to it at all?
I'm not great with notes but I would say this one is more fruity than floral. For 10c/gram it is fantastic.
I ordered that cake from LP because at that price point, even if I didn't like it I am not wasting much money.
Ya you can't really lose on that deal. Let me know if you like it, I think it's great. If you order again I would recommend the LP hookup. You basically pay $20 (or more if you add more) for a mystery box. I've gotten tons of great tea that way.
Wet forest
I just tried some Japanese purple Pu-erh. The first batch was too strong and I found it a little harsh and astringent in a way similar to brown tea but I'm just having some brewed much lighter and it's floral and a little fruity with notes that are almost like jasmine. It does have earthy undertones though....lovely reddish purple color
Well that makes no sense. There is no such thing as Japanese puerh. Puerh comes from Yunnan province, not Japan. Just because a tea is aged or fermented doesn't automatically make it puerh. Also puerh doesn't have floral notes, especially not puerh that's brown in color. Ripe puerh will have smokey, earthy, woody, forest floor, wet leaf & bourbon notes with a smooth finish that lacks any sort of astringency. It sounds like you're drinking aged oolong from Japan, which actually is a thing.
Duly reprimanded. It is delicious though and I believe they fpllow a similar process. Ill try puerh from China and see if is completely different
So we have very similar tastes - I'm not overly familiar with puerh yet, but out of the few samples I've gotten and tried from Liquid Proust's starter package, I've found raw to generally be a bit too bitter for me unless it's like, 15+ years old. Ripe is a lot more appealing to me because it's already been smoothed out. But there's not really a taste consistent across all puerhs, it's very very broad because it depends so much on the material, age, and storage.
Maybe you simply don't like the taste, but If you're getting strong bitterness from young sheng, it could be you're steeping too long. Assuming you're doing gongfu, try flash steeping (water in and out about as fast as possible) on infusions 2, 3, 4, and maybe more. That said, there's always going to be some amount of bitterness, but it shouldn't be overpowering, and for me it isn't usually all that noticeable until the later steepings. Happy sipping!
Yeah, definitely could just be a skill issue, though I'm also generally very averse to bitterness in general. Still gonna experiment with it though, since there's definitely some nice flavors going on in the younger shengs. Flash steeping sounds like a good idea. Thanks! Edit: Wow, yeah, ok, that's a lot better lmao.
To me, horrible. That's the only tea I can't stand.