I was feeling adventurous this afternoon and decided to give this a try. I’ve seen so many different directions on how to steep pu’erh, I was quite confused on where to start so I figured start short and work my way to longer steepings if necessary.
1st infusion: 30 seconds, temp just under boiling
The liquor is a smokey gold, rather appropriate considering it smells, and tastes, like wet campfire. Like the smell you get when you pour water over the fire to douse it. It is like nothing I’ve ever had before. And for some reason I can’t stop sipping at it. I’m not sure if I actually like it or if I’m drinking it in the hopes that the flavor will change. It’s like…going camping but without the dirt/bugs/weather/lack of amenities/ever-present dampness/too-noisy kids from neighboring campsites that constantly race past on their bikes.
2nd infusion: 30 seconds, boiling water
The wet leaves now smell like wet, canned spinach dumped over hot coals. The liquor is slightly darker and tastes a bit more bitter.
3rd infusion: 30 seconds, boiling water
The same as the last except the campfire taste is slightly, VERY slightly abated…or perhaps I’m just getting used to it. There is also a slightly sweet vegetal flavor just hovering at the back of my mouth.
I could probably get a few more infusions out of this but I’m really not sure if I want to. Is this how pu’erh is supposed to taste or am I doing something wrong? It it just from being a young pu’erh? Would I get better flavor with a longer steep time? So many questions left unanswered!
