Sometime last week, I drank my very own 3-4 year old raw puer that I purchased from Purple Cane a few years back. It’s been kept in one of my ma’s little cookie jar, all tucked away in a dark corner of my house inside a book shelf just ‘cos extra exposure of heat, sunlight and other strong smelling substances may affect the tea leaves fermentation process and its overall taste.
I took a little bit of tea from it just so I can catalog its current flavors and textures and, more importantly, share it with my friends, of course. And left the rest to aged quietly, completely undisturbed -- I hope.
This tea session was not a solitary affair. My dearest roommate, Hillary, accompanied me that evening, which gives me all the more reason to create this as ceremonial and as romantic of an event as I can. This follows a series of steps that I took: (1) played one of Yo-Yo Ma’s albums in the background, (2) set out the appropriate teacups and place-mats that would compliment the tea and (3) situated the entire occasion by my favorite windowsill in the house, which gives us the opportunity to appreciate the day’s weather, being cool and blue with just tiny hints of incoming rain somewhere up in sky. This weather was not something someone would be too cheery about, especially not in a summer’s day, but it was an encouraging setting for a humbling and reflective tea session.
And I also pulled out some of my art supplies! Woot!
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But before I go any further on this update, I need to clarify that I am no expert in fermented Chinese tea or puer tea. I only ever drink oolongs, which means that I have very limited vocab, both in taste and in actual words, to describe what I’m tasting. But I’m still gonna try to write this review anyways. And we learn from trying, yea?
(Also this disclaimer is intended for those who came here primarily for the review of this tea. If you haven’t notice, this blog’s intention is not to review things. It’s mostly just a place for me to work out my creative writing bug.)
Anyways back to this tea-talk!
Hillary was there too to give her input on the tea so we worked as a team. And this is our verdict:
The first steep of this was such a surprise! I didn’t expect the tea to be a few shades darker than the last I drank it. It also changed from a green tint to a reddish brown. Keep in mind that this change all happened in just a year!
The taste, however, was a little harder to describe.
It still has a similar bright vibrancy to the usual green puer. Astringent. Soil-y, earthy, almost musty like the aroma of just opening an old wooden cabinet, while still giving the taste of newly harvested fresh greens somewhere at end. The energy or some might call it “caffeine level” of this tea comes from the back of the head to and through the eyes. So this is not something you would drink without some meal in your tummies. In other words, this tea can get exciting after a few cups.
Overall, it’s quite delicious. I’m really glad I have this tea among my oolongs. It gives a nice little change and some perspective to how things aged since I don’t ever keep any of my oolongs longer than a year.
I drink them out pretty quick.
