There are countless dimensions to understanding Pu-erh tea.
\nAt first, he believed that as long as ripe tea had no pile odor or off-flavors, and did not cause dryness when drunk, it qualified as a good ripe tea. He soon realized this standard was clearly too low for ripe tea. Learning about tea more often requires drinking it. At the beginning, Xiaobai simply drank, even swallowing directly, until one day when he truly tasted a ripe tea that brought a lasting, unforgettable pleasure to his palate, he suddenly realized that good ripe tea can be truly savored. In method, Xiaobai began to be strict with himself, imagining an eye inside his mouth positioned above the nasal cavity. One should not gulp the tea, but send the liquor to the surface of the tongue, letting the aroma and flavor flow from the tongue up through the nostrils.
\nThus, the experience of tasting a cup of Pu-erh tea began to reveal distinctions: there were flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, and umami; and mouthfeels of smooth, crisp, thick, and thin; there were sensations of returning sweetness, saliva generation, and throat resonance, accompanied by aromas of jujube, honey, orchid, or fresh, camphor, medicinal, and aged fragrances. These are the charms of Pu-erh tea that Xiaobai became deeply addicted to. The process of learning tea also tested his sensory acuity as a taster and the depth of his tea experience.<\/p>\n
Soon, Xiaobai discovered that Pu-erh tea is not a tea type known primarily for its aroma. Pu-erh’s fragrance is another style entirely, encompassing four types: regional aroma, varietal aroma, temporal aroma, and craftsmanship aroma. Regional and varietal aromas ensure Pu-erh tea’s stylistic character. To better understand regional aroma, Xiaobai purchased some Menghai Tea Factory 7572, reputed to be the “benchmark for ripe tea.” According to many tea books, in the 1970s, Menghai Tea Factory was the first to successfully master the “artificial pile fermentation technique” for ripe Pu-erh tea. Their 7572, exported to Hong Kong from 1975, has always been regarded as the industry benchmark for ripe tea. The taste and aroma of 7572 speak for the “Menghai flavor,” becoming the standard for ripe tea.
\nAfter tasting 7572 from different years, Xiaobai found that the so-called “Menghai flavor” in ripe tea has one crucial characteristic: pure, clean taste, with no sourness or off-flavors, and certainly no pile odor. Second, sweetness \u2014 tea from Menghai Tea Factory’s fermentation workshop has an obvious sweetness whether smelled or tasted. Third, rich and smooth \u2014 if you lick the brewed tea with the tip of your tongue, you can feel a thick layer; the liquor is deep red and brilliantly clear, with a viscous quality, as if tea oils are seeping through, never thin or bland.
\nXiaobai joyfully summarized: quality Pu-erh ripe tea has no off-flavors, its tea aroma is restrained, pure, and elegant without being showy, its taste is clean and unified, strong and full, wrapped into a cohesive whole, never turning bitter even after long steeping, rich in layers, with prominent throat resonance, good returning sweetness, and relatively long-lasting.<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
Author: Old Tea Head \u00b7 Lin Shen (LamSam)
\nZen Tea Manor ZENTEA MANOR
\nTianying Supply Chain Company
\nwww.zentea-shop.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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