Puerh (Organic) Tea by Dragonwater

Scent: Mild, earthy, slightly grassy
Brewing method: 16 oz. porcelain teapot
Steeping: 30 min. rinse, 3 minute infusion @ 212 degrees
Cup: Clarity Cup by Adagio

In my quest to learn more abut puerh teas, I may have prejudiced myself against this particular tea from the start. It is a loose-leaf puerh, which from what I’ve read is rarely as good as pressed puerh. It is cooked, which is why I was surprised by the grassier scent of the tea. I should have brewed it gong fu style, but did not have time just then.

The scent of the brewed tea seemed a little “off” from the tuo cha I had tried last week. It was more vegetal, and less earthy. More like a dark oolong, I guess. The taste was very mild and inoffensive, but nothing terribly spectacular. It brewed up light in color as well – a far cry from the deep brown/red of the tuo cha.

Needless to say, I won’t be reordering this one. It’s just not really worth the money or storage space to keep it around. I may try leaving it out for awhile in a basket or something, to see if it will age any more and perhaps lose the grassy taste at some point. I’ve read that cooked puerhs really don’t age much more, but I doubt it will hurt this particular tea.