Hi Cathy,

It may be that you won't ever like Puer. That's fine - after years of
trying, I've concluded I just don't like green teas, wherever they're from
(of course, they're also not nearly as good as good Puer...).

However....

Trying Puer in most USA tea rooms, probably especially non-Asian chain tea
rooms like Teavana is, let us say, probably not the best way to experience
the tea. Puer isn't like the black teas that tea rooms like this mostly
serve. I suspect the people working there never even heard of Puer before
they worked there, and if this is, as it appears to be, Teavana's only Puer,
their tea buyers probably would barely know a Puer if it came up and kicked
them in the head. Most tea rooms (and restaurants) I've been in can't steep
and serve English Breakfast correctly, much less something at all exotic.

I see only one Puer at Teavana: http://store.yahoo.com/teavana/18pureh.html;
it is, virtually for sure, a "black" or "cooked" or "ripe" Puer (those all
mean the same thing); it's also $9.00 a quarter lb., which for me put's it
in the "low-grade, too cheap to mess with" category (though others here will
disagree). If this is the one you had, that's another reason to go someplace
else (though if you're in Atlanta, there probably isn't anywhere better to
go); better: get a few samples from a good dealer and try making it
yourself. There are plenty of knowledgeable people on this group who would
be willing to advise you.

There are tea dealers who care about Puer, and there are dealers who don't.
A dealer or tea room that carries one or maybe two low-grade Puers doesn't
care about Puer. From the evidence I see, Teavana is in the "don't"
category.

A few months ago in a previous Puer thread, I posted this:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...b81903617a,767
c348a28308e0d,e7e3cf7e23bcd802,6a012b6cbb3f15bf,c2 367dc622128bbb,74f44d9caeb
27b43?thread_id=951d0408d3b080f1&mode=thread&nohea der=1&q=doug+hazen,+Jr.+gr
oup:rec.food.drink.tea#doc_123efdda21ee9998

which you may or may not find useful. I won't repeat what I said there, but
I still stand by it.


Doug


"Cathy Weeks" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Ok, from everything I've read, I thought Pu-er sounded like an
> interesting tea. I was near a Teavana so I had them make me a cup.
>
> Oh, my. I did NOT like it.
>
> I assume it's an acquired taste? The after taste lasted for HOURS.
> Anyone like the tea the first time around?
>
> Cathy Weeks
>