Thread: Tea anyone ??!!

Sheng (raw) Pu Erh and Shu (ripe) Pu Erh are very different.
Sheng tastes like fruits, oranges, peaches, honey.
Shu tastes like a wet cave, like a rainy forest, like earth. Try before you buy. It is difficult to appreciate a Shu Pu Erh tea the first time you try it.

If the Sheng Pu Erh is not good, it tastes very sour. Much astringency there.
If the Shu Pu Erh is not good it tastes like fish.
If you get those notes, do not buy

Pu Erhs are teas made to be aged. For that reason, they compress them to reduce volume and store them for years. To drink them simply break a piece as shown in the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckdggaTkqgw

Regarding the last question, a good quality tea should be drunk neat.

Very well put. The earthy flavor of the ripe puh erh is very much an acquired taste. Think of it somewhat like dry wine, or perhaps the surprise your mouth gets the first time you drink beer (I remember I thought it would be sweet) or possibly like strong cheese.

The first time I tasted a.puh erh was relatively early in my tea awakening. I honestly, seriously thought they were playing a joke on me. I almost felt like I should look around for the hidden camera. My thought was it tasted like dirt. It grows on you though but from your tea drinking experience (and I don't mean this in a judgemental way so please don't think I am being snooty) it would be kind of a leap. If you had never drunk wine before and the first thing someone gave you was a very old Cabernet or zinfandel it would taste like vinegar to you. Or if you had never drunk beer and someone gave you an IPA with lots of bittering hops it would taste like rotten pig swill mixed with battery acid.

I would definitely not recommend buying a whole cake. In fact, I would not likely buy a whole cake myself without speaking to a customer service rep because I am not well versed enough in puh ehr to know from the source and label what was good and what was bad. Perhaps call a place with good customer service hotlines and explain as you have what your tea appreciation experience is and ask them to guide you to some samples to try.

Oh, and yes you can drink it with milk and sugar. In fact it is probably better suited for it than what you are used to.

I think maybe though you might try some good malty Assam teas first and a good Russian caravan is a helpful segway to the more acquired taste of puh ehr. Then perhaps a lapsang Souchong.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Very well put. The earthy flavor of the ripe puh erh is very much an acquired taste. Think of it somewhat like dry wine, or perhaps the surprise your mouth gets the first time you drink beer (I remember I thought it would be sweet) or possibly like strong cheese.

The first time I tasted a.puh erh was relatively early in my tea awakening. I honestly, seriously thought they were playing a joke on me. I almost felt like I should look around for the hidden camera. My thought was it tasted like dirt. It grows on you though but from your tea drinking experience (and I don't mean this in a judgemental way so please don't think I am being snooty) it would be kind of a leap. If you had never drunk wine before and the first thing someone gave you was a very old Cabernet or zinfandel it would taste like vinegar to you. Or if you had never drunk beer and someone gave you an IPA with lots of bittering hops it would taste like rotten pig swill mixed with battery acid.

I would definitely not recommend buying a whole cake. In fact, I would not likely buy a whole cake myself without speaking to a customer service rep because I am not well versed enough in puh ehr to know from the source and label what was good and what was bad. Perhaps call a place with good customer service hotlines and explain as you have what your tea appreciation experience is and ask them to guide you to some samples to try.

Oh, and yes you can drink it with milk and sugar. In fact it is probably better suited for it than what you are used to.

I think maybe though you might try some good malty Assam teas first and a good Russian caravan is a helpful segway to the more acquired taste of puh ehr. Then perhaps a lapsang Souchong.

The next I'm in the Devonshire Mall in Windsor I'll go into Davids Teas and try a small amount of those to see which, i like if any of course.

Being able to add milk and sugar will help for sure because black tea without even sugar (sweet & low) does nothing for me

Originally Posted by STF

The next I'm in the Devonshire Mall in Windsor I'll go into Davids Teas and try a small amount of those to see which, i like if any of course.

Being able to add milk and sugar will help for sure because black tea without even sugar (sweet & low) does nothing for me

We’d love to see a photo of your tea session and your comments when you do get your black tea!

Sheng Pu Erh for me today

Peaches and plums, dried apricots, orange blossom honey

Originally Posted by STF

Being able to add milk and sugar will help for sure because black tea without even sugar (sweet & low) does nothing for me

If you buy black tea, try to brew it for very few seconds. It immediately gives its aromatics and you avoid the bitterness.

Check the video from 2:20 to 4:10 if you wish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5bjBxPbts

To all my tea drinking friends,
Here is something that I think you'd really enjoy.
Noble Otter Shave Soap





All that I smell when I use this is a really fine, pretty strong tea, nothing else.
One of my absolute favorites.

Pete <:-}

A few months ago, I started drinking loose leaf teas replacing the tea bags I have used for most of my life. What a difference good quality tea leaves makes.

I have tried a wide variety of teas. I do not like very delicate green teas and I have not yet developed a taste for Pu er.

I have tried teas from China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Ceylon/Sri Lanka, and Kenya. Most of my favorites are oolongs from China and Taiwan. However, some of the very best teas I have brewed are yellow teas from China. It is no wonder that Yellow teas were the favorite of Chinese Emperors.

Originally Posted by RayClem

Most of my favorites are oolongs from China and Taiwan.

Excellent choise! They are also my favorites. Especialy Mi Lan Xiang, Ya Shi Xiang, Tie Kuan Yin from China, and Alishan, Li Shan, Jin Xuan, Golden Lily from Taiwan!

Originally Posted by RayClem

However, some of the very best teas I have brewed are yellow teas from China. It is no wonder that Yellow teas were the favorite of Chinese Emperors.

Lucky you! Yellow teas are very rare.

Sheng Pu Erh for me today





Have a nice Sunday

I'm disappointed, I thought we were gonna be talking about "real tea" like "mary jane" you know.

Just for the record I hate tea.