On Mar 12, 11:51*am, fluxustulip wrote:
On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu wrote:

So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.

--
Aaron Hsu | Jabber:
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. *The price isn't
always indicative of quality. *The most common comment I get when
introducing others to this tea is: *"it tastes like dirt". *Right on!
I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
practice. *Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
(community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea) or checking out some critiques
on Pu-erh.net.
My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
not giving mighty Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at
a
small price.
After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
pour.
But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
description.
Shen
(sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the
liquor
remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.