My buddies, Glen and Lamu, over at Crimson Lotus Tea sent me a couple of puerh samples to try … after I ordered and paid for them. This happened in January 2017. Unintentionally, the tea had over a year and a half to acclimate to the varied Texas climate.
After all these years as a tea blogger, this was my first experience with puerh of any kind. The sample in question, 2016 Spring “Jingmai LOVE,” came from the Jingmai Mountains in China’s Yunnan region. It is a raw puerh.
Many tea enthusiasts do the gongfu ritual — using a tea board, gaiwan and other ceremonial accessories — with puerh. My minimalist nature precludes me from such extravagance. The game plan was a tea leaf rinse followed by as many short steeps as I could muster. I measured approximately 0.35 oz. of tea leaves and used about 5 fl. oz. of boiling water for every steep. I started out using a gaiwan (Chinese tea pot) then moved to a tea maker.
First Steep
Either my gaiwan sucks or I suck at gaiwan (probably the latter) because it was just too hot to handle. I didn’t want to burn myself any further. The color of the raw puerh was yellowish green — much like a green tea — and the aroma was earthy and sweet. It performed best in the mouth with a lingering and uplifting bright feel.
Second Steep
The tea leaves were moved from the gaiwan to a tea maker for this round. Again, a sweet — perhaps sweeter — earthy aroma met my nose. I tried hard to recognize other fragrances, maybe apple and some sort of spice. Still, the most pleasing part was when the tea was in my mouth. The body was robust and there was still that bright astringent finish.
Third Steep
Sweet earthiness was still predominant along with a hint of apple cider. The nice finish was still there.
Fourth Steep
Was the tea getting sweeter with each steep? Was I starting to detect plumb and cinnamon, or was a I trying too hard? The yellowish green color remained.
Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Steeps
Same. Same. Same. After the final steep, I took my cup to the couch where I could sit cross legged and sip pleasurably. Sort of like my first Dead show, I’m not completely sure about this puerh tea, but I desire to return for more.
