Pu'er ripened Tea is made from Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried Green Tea, processed through pile fermentation and other techniques. It has a gentle nature with reduced bitterness and astringency, offering a smooth, mellow, and thick flavor. Ripened tea can be relatively difficult to brew; it's easy to end up with a weak taste, thin mouthfeel, or an unpleasant aroma. Sometimes, it may even result in an unappealing soy sauce color. Even more puzzling is when tea stored under good conditions produces a drying, irritating, and constricting sensation in the throat. So, how should one brew ripened Pu'er tea?

A Small Trick to Brew Pu'er Ripened Tea Perfectly

The first infusion is for rinsing the tea. The first rinse of ripened Pu'er is crucial. Pour water slowly, directly onto the tea leaves without stirring them. Wait for about ten to fifteen seconds (add ten seconds for older teas). This allows the Compressed tea cake to absorb water thoroughly. Otherwise, the first few infusions will have a light color, while later ones will resemble soy sauce.

Discard this rinse.

Starting from the second infusion, pour water gently and precisely, letting it flow down the side of the cup. Here's the key: tilt the pitcher and let the tea flow along the side. This ensures a stable release of the tea's contents, maintaining its rich thickness. Make sure to pour out all the tea after each infusion.

Typically, the tea must be infused and poured out immediately for the first six to seven infusions. Afterward, adjust the Steeping time according to personal preference.

When pouring out the tea during each infusion, ensure that all the water is drained, leaving none behind. The early infusions should be poured out promptly to avoid turning into a “soy sauce broth.” If there's a break in brewing, the first infusion afterward should be poured out quickly. For the final few infusions, pour water quickly and vigorously, flipping the leaves to maintain high water temperature and fully release the aged aroma.