$9.00 – $64.00
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Aged Shou Pu-erh
Appearance: slender, evenly-sized, slightly twisted leaf, even dark brown in color
Flavor: earthy, sweet clean, shou Pu-erh flavor
Aroma: rich, earthy aromatics with a bit of sweetness
Liquor: opaque dark brown/burgundy colored liquor tinged with copper highlights
Yunnan Province, China
Spring Harvesting Season
(March to May)
Note on steeping Pu-erh:
Pu-erh is traditionally ‘rinsed’ before being steeped. This is done with a quick application of hot water that is poured over the tea in the gaiwan or teapot and then immediately discarded. The rinse water is not drunk – its purpose is to help the leaves begin to open during steeping.Use additional appropriately-heated water for the 1st steeping and subsequent re-steepings.
Western-style steeping in a medium-large sized teapot 25-32 ounces:
Use 2 teaspoons (3 grams) of tea per 6 oz water
Use water that is 200°F-210°F
Rinse the tea in your teapot with a quick application of hot water
Immediately discard this liquid
Add additional hot water to start the 1st steeping
Steep for 3-4 minutes
Re-steep 1-2 additional times
Asian-style steeping in a small teapot under 10 oz or in a gaiwan:
Use 4 teaspoons (6 grams) of tea per 6 oz water
Use water that is 200°F-210°F
Rinse the tea in your teapot with a quick application of hot water
Immediately discard this liquid
Add additional hot water to start the 1st steeping
Steep for 25 seconds
Increase the steeping time an additional 5-10 seconds with each re-steep
Re-steep this leaf 4-6 times (or more!)
Coming soon!
Unlike most other tea, Pu-erh is made from mao cha and not directly from fresh leaf.
So what is mao cha? Mao cha is a simple ‘rough’ manufacture of leaf materials that consists of:
Mao cha is considered both finished tea and half-made tea. It is essentially young sheng Pu-erh and is drunk by villagers in Yunnan as well as being the leaf that all Pu-erh is made from. Mao cha is simple to manufacture but is complex in its diversity. It can be made from the fresh leaf of one tea garden or be a blend of leaf from an entire tea village or from several tea producing villages within one county.
Mao cha can be stored and aged after it is made, or it can be a blend that is comprised of aged mao cha from different years. It is found in a variety of leaf sizes, too, depending on the location of the tea trees and on the type of local cultivars (size of the leaf) the mao cha was made from. Mao cha is a great example of the effects of terroir.
As you can see, the possibilities and resulting flavors of mao cha are almost endless. All of these variables result in a staggering choice of mao cha for Pu-erh producers to work with.
Loose-leaf shou Pu-erh is a very practical and easy way to enjoy Pu-erh on a daily basis without the formality of beeng cha preparation. It is an easy, low-commitment and delicious way to become familiar with the world of Pu-erh.
This Aged Shou Pu-erh is round, smooth and rich in taste with a clean, sweet finish.
Note:
Shou Pu-erh is also known as ‘cooked’ or ‘ripe’ Pu-erh, a reference to the wo dui fermentation process that the leaf undergoes in the tea factory
Want to know more?
China’s Famous Tea