Yunnan Pu-er - Virtuous Teas

When I first encountered this type of tea it was written pu'erh so that is how I always refer to it. In the subject line and as I discuss the particular tea I tried, I will use "pu-er" because that is what the vendor used. Like so many things, the translations from Chinese are varied based on dialect, common use and the like.

What makes pu'erh unique is that it is the only fermented tea. This is confusing to some who are beginning to learn about tea as the terms "oxidized" and "fermented" are often used interchangeably. That is not correct. Oxidation is when something combines chemically with oxygen and is changed, like when metal rusts. Most teas (except greens) undergo some level of oxidation in their processing. Fermentation requires the action of bacteria, yeast, or other microbes. In the tea world, this only occurs (or should occur anyway!) with pu'erh.

Pu'erh is generally divided into two main categories: raw and cooked. The leaves, stems, and buds are first wilted (although sometimes this is skipped) and then pan-fried to prevent oxidation. The leaves are then rolled and dried. At this stage, the tea is called Mao Cha. To create raw pu'erh (also known as Sheng, "uncooked," or "green"), the leaves are then steamed to rehydrate them and they are compressed into shapes and aged. To create ripened pu'erh (also known as Shu or "cooked") the leaves are moistened and stacked and the process is similar to that used in composting. The fermentation occurs more quickly than during the aging process. The leaves are then compressed. Sheng is generally considered the better of the two.

The tea that I tried, Yunnan Pu-er from Virtuous Teas was a loose leaf form of pu'erh. I wasn't able to get more info from the company in time for the review, but I would suspect this was Shu. The dry leaf was long and twisted with a dusky brown leaf. The scent was exactly like cooked spinach (frozen or canned spinach, not fresh.) I prepared this tea using gongfu method in a gaiwan. I filled the 4 ounce gaiwan nearly half full (about 2 tbs. of leaf.) I did a quick rinse and then brewed for 30 seconds. While it was brewing I noticed scents of cut wood and the liquor was a deep mahogany. Another smell made me think of an old attic, musty. The flavor reminded me of spinach and mushrooms. A very filling tea.

The second infusion was also a 30 second brew. The flavor was more like portobello mushrooms. The spinach-y flavor was reduced.

The third infusion (35 seconds) smelled like roasted chestnuts. It was a little peppery, but more gentle than the others. I think it needed a longer brewing time.

The fourth infusion (45 seconds) was woodsy. The earthy flavor was back. At this point, the leaves nearly filled the gaiwan and they were the color of licorice.

Tea: Yunnan Pu-er
Source: Virtuous Teas
Type: Pu-erh
Brewing details: 2 tbs in a 4 ounce gaiwan for 30 seconds (30 s for 2nd, 35 s for 3rd, and 45 s for 4th)
Comment: 4 infusions was my max on this one. I think it's going to take awhile for me to become a pu'erh fan. I'll continue to try it off and on I'm sure.

For more information on tea, please visit The Tea Pages website.
For Tea Pages merchandise, visit our site at Cafe Press.

Taken from http://teapages.blogspot.com/