/6/04

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>> I started with Pu-erhs thinking that an opaque black liquor was proper.
>> Now, I know better. Here's my question, though: Would a "good" Pu-erh,
>> cooked or uncooked, ever become opaque? Would that opacity indicate
>> something else, such as wet stored Pu-erh?

> I take it that you mean the liquor?

Yes.

>New uncooked Pu'er will yield a
> greenish yellow liquor, and as it ages, the liquor will turn into a darker
> yellow, and probably lightly amber, but never opaque. I understand that -
> though I've yet tasted one - when the uncooked pu'er gets past its optimal
> age, the liquor will begin to turn pale, in reverse order.

That's interesting. I can't afford to drink a Pu-erh of that age, but I did
once buy a lousy example of a 50 year old Pu-erh (from Rishi tea) whose
liquor color is indeed rather pale. Maybe this was in fact an example of
what you are describing. The leaf quality is quite poor.

> Fresh uncooked pu'er will take on an astringent and sharp taste, and many
> people find it awful, with the exception of the locals in Yunnan, who mostly
> prefer to drink fresh new uncooked pu'er over the cooked or aged variety.

I've tried new ones whose tastes are in fact gentle yeast-fruit-flowery,
complex, and giving. So, a really well made new one of good breeding can
deliver a lovely tea. And when they age they will be worth their weight in
gold.

> So many people keep the uncooked pu'er over a period of time. Some
> factories do not print their production date on the uncooked pu'er, so the
> age is often determined by the 'trained' eye of a pu'er expert. It is
> generally accepted that uncooked pu'er needs about 5 years of proper
> oxidation before it can be consumed, and the older it is, the better.

I've had some very nice 1999's. So, the 5 year mark might be just about
right.

> There's however, no agreement on when is the optimal age though. Lab tests
> in Taiwan and China on 100 odd year old pu'er showed that the tea's healthy
> properties are only in traces in these century old pu'ers.

Could you link us to, or otherwise provide, that information? I would like
to read *anything* about 100 year old Pu-erh.
>
> For cooked pu'er, the liquor should never be opaque either, but a light to
> dark amber. Dark opaque liquor usually means a) brewing too much leaves,
> b)overbrewing, c) new cooked pu'er, d) cooked pu'er of a lower quality,
> Wet stored pu'er is a trick employed by dishonest makers to make a quick
> turnover on the pu'er to meet the increasing demand. I've not come across
> any lab reports on it and how it may affect us, I'll post it if there are
> any reports.

It has been my experience that Pu-erhs that produce an opaque black liquor
do so rather quickly, after a short steep time. They are usually soft in
taste, and not too interesting, although not particularly unpleasant either.

[Michael on youthful Pu-erhs]
> Interesting. This is the first time I've heard about this. From what I
> know, read and been told, pu'er 'mellows' with age, there's no mention that
> pu'er will go through an adolescent 'angst'.

We'll just have to keep our eyes and noses out.

Another question: Is the age of the Pu-erh, as revealed through examnation
of the coloration of the dry cake, relative or absolute? That is, is it
possible that one cake will mature more or less quickly than another, moving
through the color stages therefore more or less quickly? And if so, does
this impact on the quality of the tea?

Jump in here, other mavens and mavenettes.

Michael