From 2006′ autumn harvest comes this ripe pu-erh tea, a wonderfully smooth tea with one dominant flavour: almonds.

I have Linda from Bana Tea Company to thank for this lovely sample (disclosure: Bana Tea Company is an advertiser on Tea Finely Brewed). It’s the fourth tea from Bana Tea Company that I have reviewed here, and again it’s an impressive, high-quality pu-erh.

Denong brick is included in loose form in Bana’s sampler set, which is how I received it. You can also buy it in brick form ($18 for a 250 gram brick).

As I mentioned at the outset, this tea is dominated by the flavour of almonds. But it doesn’t have the sharpness or mouth-drying quality that nutty teas often seem to have; instead, it’s very, very smooth ? calming, in its way. I was briefly reminded of vanilla, though this is a much subtler flavour. Also subtle is the hint of apples that starts to emerge with later infusions, balancing out the almond flavour.

After writing my notes on this tea, I thought I would take a look at what I wrote about Bana Tea Company’s Denong Wild Ripe Pu-erh, which is a wild-grown pu-erh tea. It struck me just how similarly I described the wild denong: it had “flavours of almonds”, a “smooth, almost delicate body” and a “refreshing effect on the mouth”. While the cultivated pu-erh doesn’t seem to be as complex as the wild-grown pu-erh, it is nevertheless remarkable to read how similar the two teas are.

Denong Pu-erh Brick is available from Bana Tea Company.

Browse more pu-erh tea in the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Denong Brick from Bana Tea Company | No comment |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, ripe pu-erh, shou pu-erh

Today’s tea: Denong Wild, Bana Tea Company’s newest offering. This is a 2009 pu-erh tea made from 100% rare wild ancient arbor trees. (Disclosure: Bana Tea Company is a Tea Finely Brewed advertiser and this tea was received as a free sample).

With pu-erh, parameters are important. Here’s what I used: Six grams for the gaiwan. A twenty second infusion, the first time around. Add ten seconds for each of the next three infusions. Two minutes for the fifth infusion, and then add a minute for every infusion after that.

Brewing tea like this lets you experience how the tea opens up, as each infusion coaxes a little more out of the leaves.

The first infusion here yields a light amber infusion with a striking sweetness. The tea has a smooth, almost delicate body. But there is complexity there. As it cools, I notice how the tea changes in the mouth, from a sweet almond-like nuttiness to a mild tartiness. I also find that the tea has a cooling, refreshing effect on the mouth.

With the next infusion, the tartiness has become much more apparent. The liquor is much darker now, and the body isn’t delicate anymore. The earthy, campfire qualities that I have noted in other ripe pu-erhs is here, but it’s in balance with the other flavours. I have had other pu-erhs where all you can taste is that earthy flavour, but here it is part of a greater whole. Flavours of almonds and citrus fruits float around, interacting playfully.

I find it hard to do this tea justice. There is a great deal of complexity here. Ideally, I think you would allow this brick to age, but it’s great for drinking right now.

Denong Wild is available from Bana Tea Company for $12 for a 100-gram brick, or as part of their Beginner’s Gift Pack.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Denong Wild Ripe Pu-erh Tea from Bana Tea Company | No comment |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bana Tea Company, ripe pu-erh, shou pu-erh

I know, I know, I’ve been awfully quiet lately. But I’ve been busy working on some exciting stuff behind the scenes, which will hopefully be unravelled very soon…

Anyway, I’m very pleased today to share a wonderful post by Linda Louie, a pu-erh tea specialist who runs Bana Tea Company. Linda has sent me a sampling of some of her pu-erhs, which I will be writing about soon. You can also read an interview with her on Ajikas. But in the meantime, here is her advice on how to properly store pu-erh tea. Enjoy.

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A good Pu-erh tea for brewing and consumption requires a quality base tea, careful pre-processing and well-designed post-processing. Pre-processing refers to the preparatory steps to produce the ?raw materials? (green mao cha) and post-processing refers to the storage condition under which Pu-erh teas are aged to enhance proper fermentation. In other words, it is not necessarily true that the older the Pu-erh tea, the better. A superior Pu-erh tea for brewing requires that one start with a good quality ?raw tea? that is carefully and properly pre-processed, and then aged under optimum storage conditions.

Tea Master Vesper Chan, a pioneer in Pu-erh dry storage, states that the ideal conditions for storage are an environment with between 50%-60% humidity and a temperature range of between 60-70 degrees. As different parts of the world vary in their weather and humidity, Pu-erh teas stored in different environments yield different results. For example, Pu-erh teas stored in relatively dry places like Beijing or Los Angeles will age to become more aromatic, but they will take longer to achieve the smoothness that teas aged in more humid places like Hong Kong or Guangzhou will exhibit.

Pu-erh tea should not be exposed to excessive humidity for prolonged periods of time or it can become flat and dull. During the season when humidity is very high, opening the window to allow fresh air in the room is advisable. Pu-erh tea should be stored well above ground level and be given good ventilation. If you have a large amount of tea, it should be rotated once every six months to even out the tea?s exposure to fresh air. Extreme variations in temperature should be avoided.

Pu-erh tea has a tendency to absorb odors in the environment. Avoid storing your Pu-erh tea in kitchen cabinets or near moth balls or around other items that emit strong odors. With regard to the appropriateness of using a humidifier in places with low humidity, Master Chan opined that it would be fine to use one a few hours once a month to promote faster fermentation. Lastly, if you are storing a variety of Pu-erh, always store the raw Pu-erh and the ripe Pu-erh separately in order for the respective teas to retain their own aroma.

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Proper Pu-erh Storage for Best Results | 2 comments |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea
Post tags: pu-erh storage, sheng pu-erh, shou pu-erh, tea storage

What is pu-erh tea, exactly?

Darjeeling may be considered the Champagne of Teas, but it is pu-erh that has the most in common with wine. Unlike other teas, which are ready (and best) to consume straight after production, the best pu-erh is aged for years before it is used.

Pu-erh tea is fermented. It may or may not be oxidized, depending on the type of pu-erh (see below).

Pu-erh is sold in loose leaf or compressed form. It is compressed into many different shapes, from traditional round cakes to mushrooms, pyramids, coins and other shapes.

In China, pu-erh tea is known as black tea; what we know as black tea is called red tea in China.

Where is pu-erh tea grown?

Pu-erh gets its name from Pu’er county in southern Yunnan Province, China. From this region, pu-erh is made from extra large leaves plucked from long-lived tea bushes, which are plentiful in Yunnan Province.

Check out this website for more about Yunnan tea.

What are the main types of pu-erh tea?

There are two main types of pu-erh:

Sheng pu-erh is not oxidized (it is also known as “raw” or “green” pu-erh). Sheng pu-erh is traditional pu-erh, made to age for years before consumption. Mao Cha is the young sheng pu-erh, which requires proper storage and aging. This is cheaper than naturally aged sheng pu-erh, which can be consumed immediately or allowed to age even longer.

Shou pu-erh, on the other hand, is made to be enjoyed immediately. Invented by enterprising tea artisans in the 1970s who needed a way to satisfy growing demands for ready-to-drink pu-erh, shou pu-erh is oxidized (thus, it is also known as “black” or “cooked” pu-erh) to accelerate the aging process. Shou pu-erh is generally not as complex as sheng pu-erh, but it is much more affordable and can be drink within two or three years.

What’s the best way to brew pu-erh tea?

Pu-erh is best brewed in full rolling boil water around the 93°-100°C (200°-212°F). The same leaves can be infused many times, with each infusion revealing something different. You can steep pu-erh between 2 and 5 minutes, though I’ve seen suggestions around the internet that pu-erh can have a much shorter infusion time. As with any tea, experiment.

What are the health benefits of drinking pu-erh tea?

Scientific studies into the health benefits of pu-erh tea appear to have been conducted primarily on rats, so it is quite impossible to know for sure what the health benefits of drinking pu-erh might be. One study found that rats with pu-erh tea in their diet lost weight and cholesterol. Pu-erh’s ability to lower cholesterol has been examined in other studies, but again, results were not tested on humans. Another experiment on rats suggested that pu-erh tea can protect against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (also known as golden staph).

Does pu-erh tea contain caffeine?

As with every other tea made from Camellia sinensis, pu-erh tea contains caffeine.

For related information, see my earlier post about the caffeine content of green tea.

Where can I buy pu-erh tea online?

To begin with, browse the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace to compare pu-erh teas from different tea merchants.

Pu-erh tea is growing in popularity, so you can find it amongst better known teas at shops like Adagio Teas (see their Pu-erh Dante and Pu-erh Poe), >Mighty Leaf and Numi Organic Tea. These shops aren’t specialists, but they can help you get a basic introduction to the world of pu-erh.

Pu-erh tea can get very expensive, so if you’re a beginner, I’d recommend starting with a few cheaper examples from the shops above to get yourself acquainted. Once you’re sufficiently familiar with pu-erh, check out these pu-erh specialists.

Yunnan Sourcing is an eBay store specializing in pu-erh teas. They have a huge range, with over 500 pu-erh varieties. However, they ship from China, so shipping can sometimes take a while.

Generation Tea are based in the US and stock over 100 pu-erh varieties. One small store with a selection of hand-picked pu-erh teas is NadaCha.

Finally, I also recommend you check out The Half-Dipper, an excellent blog from one very astute tea aficionado with a particular fondness for pu-erh teas.

Other posts in this series

• 7 Common Questions About Green Tea
• 7 Common Questions About White Tea
• 7 Common Questions About Oolong Tea
• 7 Common Questions About Black Tea

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | 7 Common Questions about Pu-erh Tea | 10 comments |
Post categories: Pu-erh tea
Post tags: chinese teas, sheng pu-erh, shou pu-erh, Yunnan