“Old Zhang, I've recently become fascinated with Pu'er Tea, but I don't know which one would suit me best. You've been Drinking Tea for years; could you recommend a few types?”
“Sure! The one I'm drinking lately is quite good—full-bodied, robust, and has a sweet aftertaste. If you buy the same, you won't go wrong!”
Buying tea is a familiar topic among tea enthusiasts, but the vast array of Pu'er teas can easily overwhelm someone. In such cases, a recommendation from an acquaintance seems ideal.
However, Pu'er tea comes in various flavors, each unique to its origin, making it crucial to find what suits your palate. Blindly following others' recommendations can lead to purchasing unsuitable teas. Therefore, mastering basic tea selection and tasting skills becomes essential.
This article summarizes nine key aspects—aroma, taste, color, and qi (energy) perception—to cover all common issues when buying Pu'er tea.
Identify the Origin
The national standard for Geographical Indication Product Pu'er Tea (GB/T22111-2008) defines Pu'er tea as follows:
Pu'er tea is made from sun-dried large-leaf tea from Yunnan Province within the protected geographical indication area. It is processed using specific techniques within this area, resulting in distinctive qualities.
The geographical indication covers 11 cities and prefectures in Yunnan, including Kunming, Yuxi, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dali, and their 639 subordinate towns and villages.
Pu'er City, Lincang City, and Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture are renowned as the three major production areas of Pu'er tea. Among them, the ancient six tea mountains in Xishuangbanna hold significant respect in the industry.
Menghai County is known as “China's No. 1 County for Pu'er Tea,” and its regions like Nan Nuo Mountain, Bulang Mountain, He Kai Mountain, and Ban Zhang Mountain are top producers. The ripe Pu'er produced here has a special “Menghai flavor” that is highly recognized in the market.
Ning'er's Kun Lu Mountain, Lancang's Jingmai Mountain, Mengku in Shuangjiang County, and Yongde's Da Xueshan also produce high-quality large-leaf sun-dried teas.
Recognize the Brand
Since the late 1990s, excellent Pu'er tea brands, led by Dayi, have emerged like mushrooms after rain, joining the traditional four major tea factories to establish the Pu'er tea brand.
These well-known brands exert considerable effort in quality control, raw material selection, and sales channels. Thus, newcomers to tea may find it more reassuring to focus on big brands when selecting tea.
However, this doesn't mean that small-scale factories or artisan workshops are inherently problematic. Some family-owned workshops produce Pu'er tea with exceptional craftsmanship, earning a strong reputation in the industry.
When choosing a brand, consider not just the expos they participate in or awards their products receive, but rather the accumulated market reputation and recognition since the establishment of the factory. Observing and learning will help form a correct brand perception.
After narrowing down your preferred products based on origin and brand, you need to examine specific factors such as appearance, aroma, taste, and infusion color to determine if the tea is worth buying.
Examine the Appearance
Pu'er tea primarily comes in two forms: loose leaf and compressed. For compressed teas, such as bricks, cakes, and tuos, the observation methods are similar, so we won't differentiate them specifically here.
For Pu'er loose leaf tea, focus on color, shape, cleanliness, and tenderness. The industry generally considers a brownish-red color akin to pig Liver, plump and glossy leaves, tightly bound and substantial as optimal.
Tender loose leaf teas are characterized by a high proportion of buds, visible tea down, and a lustrous appearance. The more these criteria are met, the higher the quality of the Pu'er loose leaf tea.
For Pu'er Compressed Tea
For Pu'er compressed tea, focus on the surface, thickness, mold pattern, and color. Industry standards include neat shapes, such as square edges for brick tea, round and full tuos, and evenly thick cakes.
Raw Pu'er shows white down and a glossy dark green color. Ripe Pu'er displays black-brown, brown, or red-brown, depending on aging time. Other factors like no layering, no shedding, appropriate tightness, and clear mold patterns also contribute to evaluation.
Sense the Aroma
A fragrant Pu'er tea that fills the room during brewing is a direct indicator of a fine tea, easily winning over consumers. Pu'er tea's aroma mainly falls into two categories: fresh and vibrant new tea aroma and mellow, restrained aged tea aroma.
The new tea aroma can be experienced during tasting or by smelling the vessel once it cools down. Natural floral and fruity aromas are considered positive, while artificial aromas due to overheating indicate flaws in processing.
The aged tea aroma develops during long-term post-fermentation through the interaction of microorganisms and enzymes, resulting in pleasant aromas like Osmanthus, dates, herbs, and camphor. When the aged tea aroma reaches its peak, it is described as having “aged charm.”
Taste the Flavor
The quality of tea can only truly be assessed through tasting. Good Pu'er tea should not taste bitter like Chinese medicine nor make you frown. Let's break down the aspects involved in tasting.
Bitterness and Astringency
Pu'er tea is a classic large-leaf tea from Yunnan, rich in polyphenols and catechins, leading to a high concentration of extractable substances in the infusion. Traditionally, Pu'er raw tea made using sun-drying processes was rarely without bitterness and astringency.
The intense bitterness and astringency deterred many newcomers to Pu'er tea, prompting manufacturers to develop new processes in recent years. As a result, the bitterness and astringency of new Pu'er teas have significantly decreased, making them more market-friendly.
However, bitterness and astringency remain fundamental flavors of Pu'er tea. When evaluating a tea, it's not about the absence of bitterness and astringency, but rather the degree of these flavors and how quickly they dissipate.
Salivation and Sweet Aftertaste
Salivation and sweet aftertaste are reasons why many experienced tea drinkers adore Pu'er tea. Generally, the better these sensations are, the higher the quality of the raw materials.
Different teas exhibit salivation and sweet aftertaste in various ways, primarily through the tongue surface, sides of the mouth, and under the tongue. Due to the complexity and subjectivity of assessing these sensations, detailed explanations are beyond the scope of this article. Interested readers can refer to previous specialized articles.
Fullness and Complexity
The terms “fullness” and “complexity” in the mouthfeel might seem abstract but refer to the “stimulation” felt in different parts of the mouth upon tasting the tea. This sensation is not unpleasant but rather soothing, like a massage.
Pu'er tea with good fullness and complexity can immediately engage various sensory organs in the mouth, such as the throat and tip of the tongue. In contrast, inferior teas can only stimulate limited areas, leaving a sense of disappointment.
High-quality raw materials, especially skillful blending, can enhance the complexity and fullness of the mouthfeel. Pure teas, due to their single-origin nature, may lag slightly in these aspects.