Aged Pu'er (Shou Pu'er) is widely favored for its mild nature, broad appeal to different groups of drinkers, and Health benefits.
In regions where the appreciation of Pu'er tea is prevalent, it's common to see people brewing and savoring aged Pu'er casually.
However, is there really no technique to brewing aged Pu'er? How should one open a cake of aged Pu'er?
Brewing with Steeping or Boiling
Compared to many other teas, everyday aged Pu'er is not particularly delicate. There's no need for elaborate techniques when brewing it. If we apply the four elements of tea brewing—tea, water, vessel, and brewer—we mainly need to pay attention to water temperature, brewing vessel, tea-to-water ratio, and steeping time.
The most commonly used vessels for brewing aged Pu'er are gaiwans and Yixing clay pots. Let's start with the Gaiwan, which can be used for brewing all kinds of teas. When opening a cake of everyday aged Pu'er, we use a gaiwan for our initial tasting. The water temperature for brewing aged Pu'er is typically boiling water, ensuring that each pour is at boiling point. This can be achieved using a widely recognized water heater like the Jigou water heater. The tea-to-water ratio can be calculated by multiplying the capacity of the brewing vessel by 6%, for example, about 8g of tea for a 130cc gaiwan. The steeping time usually starts from a few seconds in the early infusions and gradually increases.
After loosening the tea, weighing it, adding it to the vessel, and rinsing it, we proceed with the actual brewing and tasting. During this process, we smell the aroma, admire the liquor, and inspect the infused leaves. After brewing a pot of tea, we can make an initial judgment on the quality and grade of the tea.
To objectively evaluate a tea, correct brewing is a prerequisite. Therefore, we often start with a gaiwan for tasting, but for a more refined experience, especially with aged Pu'er over ten years old, we generally use a Yixing clay pot. Aged teas release their flavors more slowly and require high-temperature brewing as well as a vessel with good heat retention to enhance the integration of tea and water, evoke the aged aroma, and improve overall drinking enjoyment.
However, even a Yixing clay pot can struggle with older tea chunks, producing a liquor where tea and water do not blend well, and the aroma is not fully released. Even when a thick-walled pot is combined with an electric stove and a clay or iron kettle, the results are not as good as boiling. Only after trying boiled tea will you realize that steeped tea lacks something.
For teas that release flavors relatively slowly and have higher brewing requirements, such as aged Pu'er, old tree Pu'er, or tea chunks, if conditions are limited, there is a simple yet effective method: using a high-quality thermos flask for steeping. Generally, 5g of tea for a 500cc thermos, steeped for around 15 minutes, is sufficient. However, it's important not to steep for too long to avoid a cooked taste. After steeping for half an hour, you can open the spout to let some air in and cool down.
Premium aged Pu'er can also be brewed using this steeping method. Interested readers may want to try it out. You'll find that the liquor has better integration of tea and water and a more viscous texture. This method is convenient for work hours and outings, allowing for pleasant drinking experiences.
Aged Pu'er Everywhere
Everyday aged Pu'er is popular due to its broad appeal, ease of brewing, durability, and affordable pricing. In the Pearl River Delta region, centered around Guangzhou, where Tea culture is prevalent, aged Pu'er is consumed everywhere, from teahouses and restaurants to homes and offices. People of all ages are familiar with aged Pu'er. In the early 2000s, before the widespread availability of internet information and the popularization of Pu'er knowledge, many people only knew about aged Pu'er and were unfamiliar with raw Pu'er.
I've noticed that in various settings, common issues arise when brewing aged Pu'er, leading to unsatisfactory results. With a bit of attention, however, the tea can be brewed better. This highlights the need to spread practical tea culture among the public, an area where the industry can make significant contributions.
For example, in teahouses, many servers lack a concept of the amount of tea to use, steeping times, and the number of infusions. As a result, the tea is either too strong or too weak. Of course, this is also related to the ordinary quality of the aged Pu'er served in these establishments. I've tried multiple times to have servers brew my own aged Pu'er, but they often don't brew it well, requiring guidance or self-brewing.
In office settings, there are three prominent issues: insufficient water temperature, improper use of brewing vessels, and inadequate resting time between infusions. Water temperature decreases during the brewing process, especially when the water needs to be reheated after each infusion. Using a gaiwan or a tea-drifting cup for aged Pu'er over ten years old doesn't maximize the drinking value of the tea. Lastly, without sufficient resting time between infusions, the brewing effect and drinking experience are affected.
Similar issues also exist in home brewing. Ultimately, the lack of knowledge about proper brewing techniques for Pu'er tea is the root cause. Three to five years ago, many of my tea friends had limited knowledge about aged Pu'er. Thanks to the Yi Pin Tea Friends Association I founded, which focuses on spreading knowledge about Pu'er brewing, more and more tea friends have deepened their understanding of aged Pu'er. Today, steeping aged Pu'er and boiling it have become common practices for members of the association. Sharing photos of viscous liquor and steam clouds has become a regular activity.
Approaches to Enjoying Different Types of Aged Pu'er
Returning to the topic of the correct way to enjoy a cake of aged Pu'er, let's discuss the approaches for different types of aged Pu'er. From a drinking perspective, we can roughly categorize aged Pu'er into three types: pre-drinking period aged Pu'er (newly fermented and several-year-aged Pu'er), everyday drinking aged Pu'er, and connoisseur-grade aged Pu'er.
The Approach to Enjoying Pre-Drinking Period Aged Pu'er—Identifying Potential. At this stage, aged Pu'er is often in a phase of temporary distortion, typically having a fermentation flavor, and newly pressed teas may have a water flavor. These teas are not yet in the ideal drinking period. When we open a cake of pre-drinking period aged Pu'er, we brew and evaluate it to determine its potential future development. Thus, we need to look beyond its current distorted state and directly assess its intrinsic qualities.
In short, we place it on a timeline of aging, using patterns to not only see its current performance but also