Danica wrote:
> Roy Fong at ITC is a stickler for how a tea feels in the mouth; he has
> at times espoused a technique involving sipping the tea, holding it in
> the front of the mouth and using the tongue to determine how thick or
> silky the tea tastes before swallowing it. Since I became aware of this
> I've really changed how I judge puerh teas. The really good ones
> sometimes have a very subtle taste but great mouthfeel, although one
> would hope they would have both.
>
> I'm really digging YSLLCs '97 Xia Guan cooked cake right now, btw.
>

I use the term "mouthfeel" because it's a direct translation of the
word "kougan". There's no way to describe that term.

For young puerh, it is pretty much the ONLY criteria that should be
used to evaluate the tea, because almost all the flavours will change
over the course of aging, but mouthfeel is something that will stay
constant and will tell you more about the quality of the tea than any
flavour you're getting from it for now. A puerh that tastes great now
might not age into something great, and vice versa. In fact, if a
puerh tastes too good (for example, if it reminds you of a good oolong)
it's probably not good for aging. If it's not bitter at all or not
astringent at all, it's probably not good for aging. If it's too
fragrant, it's probably not good for aging.

While I'm not in the "it has to taste nasty now for it to be great"
school, it is unfortunately true that some producers now are making
puerh that tastes great now, but at the possible price of its future.
Some renowned Taiwanese puerh makers are guilty of this.

MarshalN
http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN