Can you fix an overly dry stale puerh?
Hi All,
Hope this is the right place to post this topic, I’m new to the steepster forum but been lurking for several months. I can’t find any info on this topic, so wondering if someone out there has an idea. I’m an avid puerh drinker, sometimes to the point of excess (I admit it) and I have a decent sized stash of ripes and raws at this point, at least enough to where I working out the long term storage. BUT, the very first cake I bought was prior to any knowledge of specific dealers, or what I was looking for. I just took a gamble on a cake which looked decent on Amazon (Amazon for tea! The shame!) Unfortunately, I realized pretty quickly that this particular shou cake, (an offbrand) leaves a whole lot to be desired. It brews up nice and dark in the gaiwan, but has almost no flavor. Very flat and uninspired. Maybe it has a hint of a memory of what was once flavor, but is otherwise rather pointless. So I leave it at work now as a half-hearted daily drinker when I forget to bring something else with me. What do you do with this type of tea? I keep wanting to toss it out, but part of me hates to throw away 1/2 a cake. Funny thing is that it cost more then any decent ripe cake from a good dealer. Oh The tragedy! Any thoughts on what to do with tea that has just lost all it’s punch?
I have an easy fix. Pick it up, walk it over to the garbage. :D Life is too short to drink poor quality tea. You could also trade it in a swap for something you might like better or you could mix it with some herbs, mint, ginger, spicy peppers, or other strong spices. Maybe with some chrysanthemum?
I threw away a cake I bought locally for next to nothing. It was garbage!
I’ve definitely become more liberal with tossing out subpar tea, especially if it’s something that I don’t think anyone else would enjoy either.
You could try to re-hydrate it in a moist but not wet environment for a week and see if that helps. 70% humidity but not much higher. you could mix with some other things like tangerine peel (chen pi) this may take some of the off taste out. if none of these work, file 13 and move on to something you like.
Always buy from a seller familiar with this type of tea. Storage is important for developing sheng and maintaining shou.
hmmm…that’s interesting. I’ve seen a tangerine peel filled with puerh for sale somewhere, but never tried one. Seems like if I tried to do this it would rot? Maybe you are suggesting just putting the dried peel into the bag and letting it sit for awhile? Seems like a harmless and inexpensive experiment. Who doesn’t like a good tangerine?
+1. Break it and increase humidity. you have nothing to loose :)
Orange peels, cinnamon, fresh ginger. You can transform it into chai
Yeah just add the peel in when you brew the tea. I still think humidity is a factor but a reputable seller is the best bet for puerh. I know a few if you need any pointers. Some local in the US have it right as well.
Don’t waste your time with it, generally buying direct from China or anywhere but a reputable retailer is a BAD idea. Also don’t bother with sheng pu-erhs unless you know it was aged properly. There are so many people buying young sheng and drinking it right away… not a good idea at all. Check out Teance or Red Blossom. Although since Peter left Red Blossom I’ve noticed that they have been running out of stuff and not really getting anything new. :(
Some of the sellers with young sheng do have some good ones that can be consumed now. And yes they will benefit in aging but it is nice to try them now and see how they change. There are some good sellers from China albeit lots of shady ones.
I don’t know either of those retailers, but will look them up- thanks for the lead. Can you further elaborate on why you would say it’s not a good idea to drink a young raw tea? The Mandala “Wild Monk” cakes are consistently rating in the high 80’s and 90’s on this site and they are only 2 years old or less? To my palate those particular raw puerhs are actually very mild and certainly drinkable. Some of the other very young shengs I’ve picked up from Yunnan Sourcing were also quite enjoyable- even at this stage. Lots of flavor! Granted, young tea can problematic on an empty stomach- but not sure what else would keep me from drinking it. Is there a legitimate health issue here? In terms of aging, I think some of the very young sheng that I’ve tried are so mild that it’s hard to predict how they would further develop, they really seem to be sold for immediate consumption!
Cville and mrmopar, it’s true that there are some young sheng pu-erhs that aren’t too bitter, but they are rarely made from the large leaf which is the whole point of drinking sheng pu-erh. These smaller leaves are great for drinking right away, but they don’t age the same as the larger leaves. This is coming from my friend who has been traveling to China multiple times a year for the last quarter of a century. She’s a native of Taiwan, but she knows her stuff. I’ve tried about a dozen teas from Yunnan Sourcing and thought they all lacked flavor. I think you usually get what you pay for especially when buying direct or just from an importer. Smaller retail businesses with high prices generally have that price because they are marking up another company’s markup on an importer’s markup.
Patrick
If the larger leaves are best for aging then that would disprove the popularity of a Menghai “7542” or a Jia Ji tuo from the same producer. They are both made from smaller leaf but tend to be fantastic performers down the road. I always say if people like a young or old puerh and they like what they have and enjoy them then the choice is theirs. We all have different taste profiles. I like young and aged puerh both raw and ripe. Yunnan has some “higher” end old arbor teas that maybe you haven’t had a chance to try. Get a sample of the Da Si ancient arbor it may change your mind on young tea. Misty peak tea has a excellent selection of good young shengs as well.
mrmopar I don’t disagree that there are some exceptions to the rule. My point is that they are exactly that. To each their own though. The best sheng, the ones that at any point in time will have the biggest and best flavor, are those that are too bitter to drink for 5-10 years. The smaller leaves tend to be milder and generally taste better at a younger age, but do not improve as much, or develop as much body over time. It’d be like aging a Beaujolais… what’s the point.
To add to the other suggestions, I’d save it for tea to drink while sick (especially if you can’t taste anything), or try it iced. Sounds weird, but ripe pu’er, brewed up western style strong and poured over ice is a lot like iced coffee. This is what I do with ripe puerh I dislike that I don’t have the heart to throw out.
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