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

On Mar 10, 9:52 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

heh, I think everyone (myself included) hears the "earthy" term thrown
around and thinks they know what it means... and then they have a
cup All I can say is to try a number of both cooked and uncooked
because the variance between Puerh is insane. I really like the "wild,
old tree" cooked stuff personally but I've had a few good cooked and
uncooked of different types and factories too... I've also waded
through quite a lot of terrible stuff both cheap and expensive. Tea
involves a lot of variables as it is and Puerh easily doubles them so
every little detail matters like storage, processing, quality, etc. to
an even greater degree. I don't love it enough to devote a significant
portion of my life to it which it would indeed require as it is a
world of it's own, Mike Petro's page is still a major resource for me.

I'm not sure if you've ever delved into Kombucha or not but if you
like earthy and unique it is a great side addition to normal teas,
although I buy mine bottled and don't get into the cultivation stuff.

- Dominic

On Mar 10, 9:52*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

Nobody serves the good stuff to a beginner! So rejoice! Because it
only gets better from here!

"Dominic T." writes:

On Mar 10, 9:52 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.

heh, I think everyone (myself included) hears the "earthy" term thrown
around and thinks they know what it means... and then they have a
cup

Quite right! Hah. Actually, what surprised me was that when I heard that
it was an ``earthy'' tea, I thought that it would have a bit of grit to
it. Amazingly, it really was smooth and earthy at the same time. I
thought that was kind of an oxymoron before I tried some. :-P

Actually, while I like it in my first testings, I don't have the time,
either, to go fishing around to find the absolute best. I think I'll
have plenty of fun to start with using the stuff I got from Little
Mountain. I have two cans, so I'm interested to see how the tastes vary
from the same company. After I finish this off, which may take a while,
I'll see where else this tea leads me.

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

beecrofter writes:

On Mar 10, 9:52*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.

Nobody serves the good stuff to a beginner! So rejoice! Because it
only gets better from here!

Haha, well, I only got the single loose leaf variety that is available
from Little Mountain. It's not guaranteed to be anything, green, black,
or whatever, so I'm sure that I'm getting a lot of differences in there,
but so far, it's nice. I was really surprised at the smoothness of the
whole tea from start to finish.

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

On Mar 10, 6:52*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've been drinking pu-erh for quite a while and, like China, the more
I know, how little I know.
Pu-erh - a long, winding journey that never gets boring.
Welcome to the pu-erh path!
Shen

Yes, puerh earthy is a good thing for me, I've been enjoying a Yunnan
sourcing cooked (the premium melon cooked tuo from Jiu Wan if anyone wants
to know) the last few days (I shouldn't have used a whole tuo though, it
was like 15 grams and kept going...and going...and going. I think I still
hadn't gotten all I could've out of it before I had to dispose of it.). The
humus-y thing puts me in mind of, I think it was Lord of the Rings maybe?
The Ents (tree beings) were much into the taste of various types of earth
and it's textures etc. It was in the book, not the movie, if it was LotR.

I'm not a puerh aficianado as such (I don't pay attention to specific
vintages, recipies, etc.) but I do like a cup and when I find one I like I
return to it. The shu doesn't seem to bug my stomach as much as say a green
oolong, and I really can drink it all day long.

Melinda

"Aaron Hsu" wrote in message
...
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

ex-girlfriend of mine likes pu-er with honey in it! Never tried that
myself.

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.

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 might 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.

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.

On Mar 12, 1:51*pm, 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 tried tea before doing asanas and I found that I don't like the
effect
at all, but I've only tried blacks, greens and white teas. Now that
you mentioned pu-erh, I realize that it may be more suitable for
asanas, but the trouble is that I always waste too much time
when making pu-erh with a gaiwan and many infusions, and I feel
like I'm wasting a good pu-erh if I brew it in a standard fashion,
with
large volume and 1-2 infusions. How do you deal with that? Do you
use cheaper pu-erh so that you don't feel guilty for making it in a
pot? Or maybe it doesn't make much difference to you? -ak

On Mar 12, 5:03*pm, wrote:
On Mar 12, 1:51*pm, 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 tried tea before doing asanas and I found that I don't like the
effect
at all, but I've only tried blacks, greens and white teas. Now that
you mentioned pu-erh, I realize that it may be more suitable for
asanas, but the trouble is that I always waste too much time
when making pu-erh with a gaiwan and many infusions, and I feel
like I'm wasting a good pu-erh if I brew it in a standard fashion,
with
large volume and 1-2 infusions. How do you deal with that? Do you
use cheaper pu-erh so that you don't feel guilty for making it in a
pot? Or maybe it doesn't make much difference to you? -ak- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I practice yoga, as well and you may want to learn gung fu style tea
service - the ritual and discipline work rather well, before and
after.
Shen

On Mar 12, 7:39*pm, Shen wrote:
On Mar 12, 5:03*pm, wrote:

On Mar 12, 1:51*pm, 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 tried tea before doing asanas and I found that I don't like the
effect
at all, but I've only tried blacks, greens and white teas. Now that
you mentioned pu-erh, I realize that it may be more suitable for
asanas, but the trouble is that I always waste too much time
when making pu-erh with a gaiwan and many infusions, and I feel
like I'm wasting a good pu-erh if I brew it in a standard fashion,
with
large volume and 1-2 infusions. How do you deal with that? Do you
use cheaper pu-erh so that you don't feel guilty for making it in a
pot? Or maybe it doesn't make much difference to you? -ak- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I practice yoga, as well and you may want to learn gung fu style tea
service - the ritual and discipline work rather well, before and
after.
Shen

I do know gong fu style tea service, that's what I meant by 'gaiwan
and
many infusions', but it takes too long. I usually practice asanas for
about an hour or a bit more, and try to fit in around other things,
work,
etc, and if I did a gong-fu style preparation, then all of that
combined
together would take too much time.. Maybe I take too long when doing
gong fu! It takes me about an hour to set everything up properly, heat
up water (in a zojurishi pot), time infusions, clean everything up
after-
wards. I can see doing everything in maybe 40 minutes if I rush but
then I might just as well drink lipton:-). Come to think of it, that's
why I almost never do gong-fu thing at all, except for when I have
some easy work to do that allows me to devote some attention to
timing infusions.. -ak

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 might 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.




Oh dear Shen, I'm afraid I don't measure up to your standards for tasting
ability...in fact this is something I've noticed about myself and while I do
concentrate hard sometimes I can't seem to get the huge wide breadth of
adjectives about taste to occur to me. I thought using the word "loamy"
was an indication of growth in my tea tasting vocabularly, you have wounded
me deeply.

Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
great perfumer for example.

Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
describing sheng puerh.