How I Drink My Puerh: A Kind of Review

I know I said I wouldn't really do this, but the purpose of this isn't to tell you all to go out and buy this tea, it's to show newcomers to puerh one of the ways to brew it and how lovers of this tea (or at least just me) experience it. 

Today I'm drinking the 2009 Xinghai Red Label Phoenix Ripe Puerh. I think this is the 3rd cake of it I've bought since I started drinking it in 2011. Its a pretty well recommended one too for newcomers, so its the one I also use to introduce my friends to ripe puerh.


First I'd like to note that I do not drink my tea like this every time I drink tea. Usually I'm doing homework, talking with friends, reading, or messing around online. One time, because I wasn't paying attention to my tea, I accidentally put my strainer on top of my pot. It sounded funny to me so I looked over and saw the ridiculous scene. I try to always pay a little more attention than that now.

I've been seeing a lot of people trying puerh before for the first time on their own, and although that's how I got introduced to it too, I really learned to love it when I went and tasted it with a bunch of other people who showed me what to look for when drinking good tea. Some of these people had been drinking tea for longer than I've been alive, so I really watched what they did. They didn't just make and drink the tea, they really went and experienced it. They noted the flavors, the smell, the look of the broth, and for puerh in particular, paid attention to the Qi of the tea. Qi is a hard thing to explain. I won't even try. Just read on.

First Drinkable Infusion:
Look at that beautiful deep red. This infusion has a warm earthy scent. It sits heavy on my tongue, slowly dragging its sweet and smooth chocolate notes through my mouth and sliding down my throat. I pause between cups to enjoy the almost suede-like feeling that it leaves behind. I know we're going to have a good tasting because the familiar and blissful feel of a headache I didn't know I had going away spreads warmly from the front of my head to the rest of my body. 

Second Infusion:Once you go black you can never go back. (Puerh is in the "hei cha" category of Chinese teas, which translates to "black tea". What we think of as "black tea" in English is actually written as "hong cha" or "red tea" in Chinese.) This time the smell is heavier and inviting. The previous infusion is like me knocking on the door. Now my friend has opened their door and is standing in the doorway with a big smile on their face. And as good friends often do, we accidentally talked too long in the doorway instead of going inside. The tastes that I love so much are, earthy, chocolatey, savory, sweet, woody, and having their own little party in my mouth. And like every good party, the guests are still lingering long after the music has ended and the tea is gone. By now I have a very large smile. 

Third Infusion:The kind of comfort I derive from this puerh is equivalent to the feeling of being wrapped up in a big blanket and sitting in front of a campfire outdoors in late summer just as the sun is setting. My friend and I are now in their house, our talk having moved past all the frivolities and getting into our pleasant shared rantings about politics, some social construct, economic theories, and science fiction. The warmth that started in my head has moved to my chest. These moments of intimacy with the tea is what I love about puerh. I think the most interesting about the flavor as it really reaches this stage is how extraordinarily smooth the feel of it is on my tongue. Its almost like a food instead of a drink. And this is far from the thickest I've ever drank my puerh before.

Intermission:

Unfortunately I just realized that I need to leave or else I'll miss dinner at the last dining hall open before Spring Break. So this next infusion will be after I come back in 30-40 minutes. I'll leave the water in and we'll just have to see what comes out when I get back. This is an okay thing to do in this case because shu puerh will never oversteep to the point of being dry and bitter, but rather just get darker and darker (to an extent), unlike pretty much every other tea. I think though, considering how long I left the last two in and how little leaf I used this time, that we're down to the last 2-3 steepings now. I think I've gotten 9 out of this one before, but with a higher leaf to water ratio (my gaiwan has half the capacity of my yixing pot) and quicker times between steepings (because I don't usually blog about the tea I'm drinking while I'm drinking it). Anyways, we'll see how it goes. I'd like to have a bit longer with my old friend before we part ways.

Fourth Infusion:
I realized as I was walking back and forth between my room and the dining hall that the taste of shu puerh is like a bass guitar. Either that or like the voice of Chris Martin, lead singer for Coldplay. That humming smooth sound. That's the taste of puerh to me. As I suspected, we're on the decrescendo with this infusion. But while the thick mouthfeel is leaving, a new taste moves to the front. This time the tea is very sweet. I've walked out of the forest and into an autumn field.

Fifth Infusion and Finale:
My time with my friend has come to an end. The clock is ringing midnight and we give each other one final hug before I head to the door. Sweetness lightly persists and the smooth heavy mouthfeel waves at me from a distance, almost only a memory now. This has been a good run, leaving me very happy and serene. Considering all the midterms and homework assignments I've had this week, I was in much need of this feeling of relaxation. 

So there is one session with a puerh for me. Normally it doesn't take nearly as long because as I said before, I'm not normally blogging about it as I'm drinking, but it can definitely take me up to two hours to finish a pot.  If I'm with someone and we're focused on the tea (and talking) then it could take as short as 30 minutes to get through all the infusions. Drinking tea is a form of awareness meditation for me. 

Each cup is my first, my only, and my last.