My first Pu Er

My first Pu Er

So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.

--
Aaron Hsu <arcfide@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcfide@jabber.org
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 10, 9:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcf...@jabber.org
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

heh, I think everyone (myself included) hears the "earthy" term thrown
around and thinks they know what it means... and then they have a
cup :) All I can say is to try a number of both cooked and uncooked
because the variance between Puerh is insane. I really like the "wild,
old tree" cooked stuff personally but I've had a few good cooked and
uncooked of different types and factories too... I've also waded
through quite a lot of terrible stuff both cheap and expensive. Tea
involves a lot of variables as it is and Puerh easily doubles them so
every little detail matters like storage, processing, quality, etc. to
an even greater degree. I don't love it enough to devote a significant
portion of my life to it which it would indeed require as it is a
world of it's own, Mike Petro's page is still a major resource for me.

I'm not sure if you've ever delved into Kombucha or not but if you
like earthy and unique it is a great side addition to normal teas,
although I buy mine bottled and don't get into the cultivation stuff.

- Dominic

Re: My first Pu Er

"Dominic T." <dominictiberio@gmail,com > writes:

> On Mar 10, 9:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
>> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
>> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
>> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> heh, I think everyone (myself included) hears the "earthy" term thrown
> around and thinks they know what it means... and then they have a
> cup :)

Quite right! Hah. Actually, what surprised me was that when I heard that
it was an ``earthy'' tea, I thought that it would have a bit of grit to
it. Amazingly, it really was smooth and earthy at the same time. I
thought that was kind of an oxymoron before I tried some. :-P

Actually, while I like it in my first testings, I don't have the time,
either, to go fishing around to find the absolute best. I think I'll
have plenty of fun to start with using the stuff I got from Little
Mountain. I have two cans, so I'm interested to see how the tastes vary
from the same company. After I finish this off, which may take a while,
I'll see where else this tea leads me.

--
Aaron Hsu <arcfide@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcfide@jabber.org
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 10, 9:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcf...@jabber.org
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Nobody serves the good stuff to a beginner! So rejoice! Because it
only gets better from here!

Re: My first Pu Er

beecrofter <beecrofter@yahoo,com > writes:

> On Mar 10, 9:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
>> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
>> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
>> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> Nobody serves the good stuff to a beginner! So rejoice! Because it
> only gets better from here!

Haha, well, I only got the single loose leaf variety that is available
from Little Mountain. It's not guaranteed to be anything, green, black,
or whatever, so I'm sure that I'm getting a lot of differences in there,
but so far, it's nice. I was really surprised at the smoothness of the
whole tea from start to finish.

--
Aaron Hsu <arcfide@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcfide@jabber.org
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 10, 6:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcf...@jabber.org
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

I've been drinking pu-erh for quite a while and, like China, the more
I know, how little I know.
Pu-erh - a long, winding journey that never gets boring.
Welcome to the pu-erh path!
Shen

Re: My first Pu Er

Yes, puerh earthy is a good thing for me, I've been enjoying a Yunnan
sourcing cooked (the premium melon cooked tuo from Jiu Wan if anyone wants
to know) the last few days (I shouldn't have used a whole tuo though, it
was like 15 grams and kept going...and going...and going. I think I still
hadn't gotten all I could've out of it before I had to dispose of it.). The
humus-y thing puts me in mind of, I think it was Lord of the Rings maybe?
The Ents (tree beings) were much into the taste of various types of earth
and it's textures etc. It was in the book, not the movie, if it was LotR.

I'm not a puerh aficianado as such (I don't pay attention to specific
vintages, recipies, etc.) but I do like a cup and when I find one I like I
return to it. The shu doesn't seem to bug my stomach as much as say a green
oolong, and I really can drink it all day long.

Melinda

"Aaron Hsu" <arcfide@sacrideo.us> wrote in message
news:m2k5kac9hl.fsf@mac,com ...
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu <arcfide@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcfide@jabber.org
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Re: My first Pu Er

ex-girlfriend of mine likes pu-er with honey in it! Never tried that
myself.

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 10, 8:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcf...@jabber.org
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. The price isn't
always indicative of quality. The most common comment I get when
introducing others to this tea is: "it tastes like dirt". Right on!
I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
practice. Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 12, 11:51 am, fluxustulip <fluxustu...@gmail,com > wrote:
> On Mar 10, 8:52 pm, Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> wrote:
>
> > So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> > different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> > going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> > --
> > Aaron Hsu <arcf...@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcf...@jabber.org
> > ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> > live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat
>
> I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found.  The price isn't
> always indicative of quality.  The most common comment I get when
> introducing others to this tea is:  "it tastes like dirt".  Right on!
> I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
> practice.  Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
(community.livejournal,com /puerh tea) or checking out some critiques
on Pu-erh,net .
My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
not giving might Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at a
small price.
After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
pour.
But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
description.
Shen
(sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the liquor
remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.

Re: My first Pu Er



I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
(community.livejournal,com /puerh_tea) or checking out some critiques
on Pu-erh,net .
My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
not giving might Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at a
small price.
After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
pour.
But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
description.
Shen
(sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the liquor
remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.




Oh dear Shen, I'm afraid I don't measure up to your standards for tasting
ability...in fact this is something I've noticed about myself and while I do
concentrate hard sometimes I can't seem to get the huge wide breadth of
adjectives about taste to occur to me. I thought using the word "loamy"
was an indication of growth in my tea tasting vocabularly, you have wounded
me deeply. ;)

Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
great perfumer for example.

Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
describing sheng puerh.

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 15, 2:41 pm, "Melinda" <Csine...@yahoo,com > wrote:
> I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
> shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
> would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
> (community.livejournal,com /puerh tea) or checking out some critiques
> on Pu-erh,net .
> My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
> Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
> not giving might Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
> Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
> House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at a
> small price.
> After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
> flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
> bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
> pour.
> But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
> description.
> Shen
> (sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
> pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
> hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the liquor
> remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.
>
> Oh dear Shen, I'm afraid I don't measure up to your standards for tasting
> ability...in fact this is something I've noticed about myself and while I do
> concentrate hard sometimes I can't seem to get the huge wide breadth of
> adjectives about  taste to occur to me.  I thought using the word "loamy"
> was an indication of growth in my tea tasting vocabularly, you have wounded
> me deeply.  ;)
>
> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> great perfumer for example.
>
> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> describing sheng puerh.

Oh, Melinda,
I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. I just thought folks should
give it a fair shot.
We are fortunate now that even the Chinese vendors on eBay are
offering samples of really good stuff at a fair price.
I would suggest writing to vendors like Sebastian at Jing's or
Stephane (www .teamasters.blogspot,com ) and ask them what they'd
recommend for specific flavours that you are looking for in a pu-erh.
Or Guang, who, really, really knows his pu-erh stuff.
These guys are pretty willing to discuss what they've got and what to
expect from it.
Also try washing your mouth out between infusions and having a bite of
an unsalted cracker to "clean the palate".
Truthfully, I find, in general, many more complexities in some Oolong
and blacks (reds) than I do in pu-erh.
Cheers.
Shen

Re: My first Pu Er

On Mar 15, 4:41 pm, "Melinda" <Csine...@yahoo,com > wrote:
> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> great perfumer for example.
>
> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> describing sheng puerh.

I don't think "earthy" is an insult at all, as it is the root of what
Puerh is all about. Sure from there it is an amazing voyage into any
number of directions, flavors, and experiences I don't think anyone
would argue that.

As for tasting or vocabulary, I find most of it useless and to some
degree pretentious... just as I find most tasting notes on wines. I
don't think a never ending flow of words helps to convey much. I can
get hints and feelings of hundreds of things upon both the dry leaf
and brew but simply listing them as in a wine review doesn't really
mean anything. Sure, I may get charcoal, raisin, wood, chocolate,
flowers, and on and on upon hitting it off with a Shui Xian but while
some may like that list I'd rather focus on the whole package and not
small (almost atomic) hints and notes and waftings. I'm not saying I
even come close to conveying everything I wished I could about each
tea I drink, but I also would rather just go with what is off the top
of my head and a basic overview and let the experience be up to the
individual from there since to me that is all that matters anyhow.

- Dominic

Re: My first Pu Er

"Dominic T." <dominictiberio@gmail,com > writes:

>On Mar 15, 4:41 pm, "Melinda" <Csine...@yahoo,com > wrote:
>> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
>> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
>> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
>> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
>> great perfumer for example.
>>
>> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
>> describing sheng puerh.

>I don't think "earthy" is an insult at all, as it is the root of what
>Puerh is all about. Sure from there it is an amazing voyage into any
>number of directions, flavors, and experiences I don't think anyone
>would argue that.

Actually, the combination of smooth yet earthy and robust tastes gave me
the biggest surprise in my tastings of Pu Er. The Pu Er that I am
drinking now is very nice (to my limited buds) because it tastes both
earthy and smooth.
--
Aaron Hsu <arcfide@sacrideo.us> | Jabber: arcfide@jabber.org
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Re: My first Pu Er

"Melinda" <Csinesis@yahoo,com > writes:

> [...]
> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> great perfumer for example.

I'm sure we vary in native sensory abilities. But I think what we're
born with is dwarfed by the abilities some of us, at least, develop
through experience. The experience, I think, consists of
concentrating on the taste and, especially, aroma of different teas
and also verbalizing the sensory experience so it's easier to remember
in the future. There was a study published in a respectable
scientific journal showing that, with enough training, humans could
track scents about as well as dogs.

> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> describing sheng puerh.

I completely agree.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin / perin@acm.org
http :// www .panix,com /~perin/babelcarp.html