Many new tea enthusiasts face a headache when they first encounter Pu'er tea: how to choose one that suits their taste. Tasting the tea is the most important part of selecting it. Good quality tea has a full-bodied flavor, high stability and harmony, a strong and lasting sweet aftertaste in the mouth, and ample tea energy. It leaves a variety of rich aromas like floral, fruity, or Honey notes lingering in the mouth, with a long-lasting finish. The tea liquor also has a high degree of durability, and after drinking, there's a clear and pleasant sensation in the throat.
Tips for Selecting Pu'er Tea
1. First Impression – Comfort and Harmony
Upon tasting the tea, what is your first impression? Is it light and sweet, or heavily bitter? Or perhaps strongly Astringent? Can you accept the first sip? It's true that bitterness and astringency are necessary characteristics of tea, but if the initial taste lacks any gentleness and you don't enjoy the tea in your mouth at all, then this tea is likely not worth considering.
2. The Taste – Bitterness Turning into Sweetness
No matter how good the quality of a new tea, or how well it's made, or where it comes from, it's unlikely that a new tea won't have some bitterness and astringency. When you taste the tea, do you first notice the bitterness or the astringency? Bitterness is a simple sensation perceived on the tongue, while astringency is a kind of retraction felt at the back of the tongue or on the sides. After a period of time, does the bitterness and astringency give way to a sweet aftertaste? In other words, when you breathe or swallow saliva, do you experience a light sweetness on your tongue? Think about licorice tablets – after eating them, even drinking Water can taste sweet. Recall whether you've had such an experience while Drinking Tea. Does this sweetness come quickly and last for a long time?
3. The Aroma – Richness and Complexity
The aroma of tea can be very complex. If we were to study its origins, it would be a massive undertaking. For now, let's just consider the type of aroma present in new teas. Is there a grassy scent, or a faint watery smell? These are normal. But if, in addition to the grassy scent, you detect a subtle floral fragrance, the fresh scent of trees in a Forest, or a hint of fruit sweetness as if standing in front of a fruit stand, these are positive signs. Sometimes the aroma might not be obvious when smelling the tea liquor; instead, it may be released upon tasting and experienced on the palate. If you do detect these scents, continue drinking and observe if they persist through subsequent infusions.
4. The Tea Liquor – Layered Flavors
The term “layered flavors” might seem vague. When drinking new teas, many tea enthusiasts might not pay attention to this aspect. When you taste the tea, different parts of your tongue will perceive different flavors. With each infusion, the taste of the tea liquor can change. If the tea tastes the same from the tip of your tongue to your throat, regardless of the number of infusions, it's unlikely to have a standout performance later on. For example, upon tasting, the tip of your tongue might feel a light bitterness, which then turns into a slightly bitter sensation on the surface of your tongue. After swallowing the tea, you might notice a sweetness at the back of your tongue, and a fresh, aromatic sensation in your throat. Recall and feel whether the new tea you're tasting gives you a similar experience.
5. The Tea Liquor – Smoothness
Don't assume that only aged teas have smooth and silky tea liquor. Actually, the smoothness of new teas is different from that of aged teas. When you taste a new tea, if the tea liquor makes your tongue feel moistened and enveloped, sliding smoothly and silkily, as if you're drinking honey water mixed with pure water (besides the smoothness of the water, there's the added silkiness of the honey), then it's a good sign. Often, when I try new teas, the tea liquor seems to skip over the tip of my tongue and slide directly to the back, flowing into my throat without any roughness, sticking, or scraping sensations. However, some teas don't exhibit this characteristic. This is a subtle detail that may seem magical. You may not believe it or haven't noticed it before, but it's worth paying attention to.