Pu'er ripened Tea is processed from Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried Green Tea through pile fermentation and other techniques, resulting in a mild tea with reduced bitterness and astringency, characterized by its smooth, rich, and mellow flavor. Ripened tea can be relatively difficult to brew; a misstep could result in weak flavor, thin mouthfeel, or unpleasant odors. Sometimes, it may even produce an unappealing soy sauce color. Even more perplexing, well-stored tea might yield a drying, harsh, and constricting sensation in the throat.
So, how should ripened Pu'er tea be brewed?
Point One: Pre-infusing the Tea
Ripened tea, whether loose or compressed, may have varying degrees of tightness or clumping. Pre-infusing helps the tea to evenly expand, allowing it to better express its character. Note that pre-infusion time should not be too long. Pour boiling water over the tea and after 5 to 10 seconds, pour out the water. Immediately after pouring out the pre-infusion water, uncover the vessel to smell the aroma, indicating that the pre-infusion is complete.
During pre-infusion, maintain a gentle and steady stream of water to avoid agitating the leaves violently; after pre-infusion, drain the tea leaves as thoroughly as possible.
Point Two: Choosing the Right brewing Utensil
Generally, for brewing ripened tea, a purple clay pot is recommended. The unique thermal insulation, breathability, and adsorption properties of a purple clay pot make the tea liquor smoother, and it also allows for pouring hot water over the lid to increase the Steeping temperature, making it suitable for ripened Pu'er which requires high-temperature brewing.
Point Three: Water for Brewing
For daily brewing, choose bottled purified water
Point Four: Amount of Tea Used
Following the principle of preferring lighter to stronger tea, generally, the ratio of ripened tea to water is 1:50, i.e., 5 grams of tea for 150 milliliters of water. This amount ensures a balanced ratio, and individuals can adjust according to their taste preferences while also adjusting the steeping time for each infusion. For example, those who wish to have more infusions can use more tea and quickly pour out the water in the initial infusions.
Point Five: Water Temperature
Ripened Pu'er can typically be brewed directly with boiling water, and older teas are better suited to high-temperature brewing. Boiling water and reheating the outside of the pot can effectively increase the brewing temperature.
Point Six: Pouring Water and Pouring Out Infusion
Ripened tea is best brewed using a low and circular pouring method. Pouring low minimizes the cooling of the water in the air and increases the agitation of water with the leaves; circular pouring improves the uniformity of water contact with different parts of the leaves. This method produces a bright red liquor with a full-bodied and mellow flavor.
When brewing ripened tea, ensure all water is drained during each pour-out, leaving no residue. The first few infusions should be poured out promptly, otherwise, they may become overly dark like soy sauce if left too long. If there is a break in brewing, the first pour-out upon resuming should be quick. In the final infusions, pour water quickly and vigorously to stir the leaves, maintaining high water temperature to fully release the aged aroma.