Tea lovers captivated by Pu'er often share this sentiment: once you start drinking it regularly, it's hard to quit. It's like "having seen Mount Wu, no other clouds are worth gazing upon." It's hard to explain why—you just love the feeling. When you encounter a good cup of raw Pu'er tea, it might taste slightly bitter at first, but after the bitterness fades, an endless aftertaste emerges, bringing a spring-like sensation under the tongue, making it hard not to feel joyful. When you encounter a good cup of ripe Pu'er tea, the liquor is full-bodied, with a light aged aroma and a hint of sweetness. As it warmly enters your body, it brings a comforting and satisfying feeling.

Pu'er tea is incredibly diverse. Different mountains, different tea tree varieties, result in different flavors. Even tea from the same village can taste completely different depending on the picking method, the duration and temperature of stir-fixing and sun-drying during processing. Tea from the same mountain, made by different farmers, can also vary significantly in taste.

Reputation doesn't mean everything; good tea must come from the hands of a skilled tea master. Everyone's taste buds are different, and so are their preferences for flavor. The same good tea might be liked by some tea lovers but not by others.

Simply put, some tea lovers enjoy bitterness followed by sweetness, some prefer purely sweet and fragrant profiles, some like a strong smoky note, while others dislike any bitterness or astringency. Every cup of tea will have its own group of fans. What you deny, others affirm. What they deny might be your favorite. There is no 'best' tea in the world, only the tea that is most suitable for you.

Tea, in the end, is a beverage, something you drink. It's natural and additive-free. What suits you is the best. The same tea can taste completely different depending on how each person brews it, the steeping time, the water quality used, and even the mood of the person brewing it. Tea brewed in a bad mood might taste different from tea brewed in a good mood. This is the magic of Pu'er tea—it's like a kaleidoscope, showing different things from different angles.

We often taste tea ourselves, trying samples from various mountains. When tasting, the more people, the better. The same infusion of tea can give different impressions to different people. Sometimes, we don't tell the tasters beforehand which mountain the tea is from, letting them perceive and evaluate based purely on their own feelings.

The charm of Pu'er tea lies not only in its myriad forms but also in its wonderful transformation over time. As long as the tea itself is of good quality and stored properly, you don't need to worry about it expiring; it will even surprise you from time to time. Store a cake of tea, let it journey with time, and accompany you as you grow old gracefully.

Why can't we quit Pu'er tea? The answer lies in each person's heart. To find a good cup of tea that suits you doesn't require an expensive price, but a serendipitous tea缘分 (fate/connection). Good tea isn't necessarily expensive, and expensive tea isn't necessarily right for you. Life isn't a fairy tale; experience is what makes a life. What suits your taste is precious.