In everyone's memory, raw Pu'er is often bitter and Astringent, with a strong and stimulating taste. Additionally, there are numerous Tea mountains and various transformations over the years, which can make it difficult for newcomers to know how to choose. Many raw pu'er teas use blends of plantation teas, which have a heavy bitterness that lingers and an astringency that takes a long time to dissipate. High-quality raw pu'er teas tend to be very expensive and require ample experience in tasting and appreciation. Therefore, if you can start by drinking a light, sweet, and flavorful raw pu'er tea, it will surely make you fall in love with it and appreciate its charm easily!
How to Choose Raw Pu'er Tea
1. First, examine the tea Cake to see if it is Spring Tea. Spring tea usually has some yellow leaves on its surface. Look for “hoof marks.” The buds and leaves of spring tea are slightly fatter than those of autumn tea. The texture of autumn tea appears smoother and longer but finer compared to spring tea, and autumn tea doesn't have yellow leaves; its surface looks clean.
2. Smell the tea cake. Good tea should have a dry aroma and no off-flavors. If there are any peculiar odors, you should immediately communicate with the seller to identify the issue and remain cautious when further assessing the tea.
3. After rinsing the tea, pay attention to the clarity of the liquor in the teapot. Good tea should produce a very clear liquor, and new tea should have a light yellow color.
4. When tasting, your first impression should determine if the tea is astringent. If so, observe whether the astringency dissipates after swallowing the tea. If, after swallowing the tea and then saliva, there is no production of saliva and the astringency remains strong, this tea is likely from a plantation.
5. Pay attention to the return of sweetness. If saliva is produced at the bottom of the tongue and the sides, this indicates a higher quality tea, typically from old arbor trees. If you feel something at the root of the tongue or even extending into the throat, it is what we call “throat resonance,” which is usually found in teas from trees over 100 years old. A tea that exhibits both a quick return of saliva to neutralize the astringency, minimal and mild astringency, a spring of saliva under the tongue, sensation on the sides of the tongue, and deep throat resonance, is likely from trees over 100-200 years old.
6. During tasting, smell the infused leaves and check for any unusual odors. Normally, they should have an ink-like aroma. Rarely, some teas may have a sweet fragrance. If there are other strange smells, you should also notice problems with the tea liquor.
7. Finally, inspect the infused leaves. This is very important: good leaves should be highly intact and have a yellow-green color. If they remain green after many infusions, it is likely that they were quickly baked rather than sun-dried.
8. Lastly, mentally summarize your impressions. Consider whether the tea's flaws are tolerable and whether its strengths appeal to you. If the drawbacks are not significant and you like its advantages, you can consider purchasing it. If you want a tea that excels in all aspects mentioned, such teas do exist, but they are extremely expensive. Moreover, if you are buying a well-known tea, it generally carries regional protection labels, and harmless or organic teas will have national certification labels on their packaging.