Ripe Pu-Erh Tasting! Comparing Our New Premium 2008 Tea

All Our Ripe Pu-Erh Teas!

In this tea tasting session, we try three Ripe Pu-Erh teas, also known as Shou, Shu, Black, or Cooked Pu-Erh.

Meet Our New Arrival: 2008 Loose Ripe Pu-Erh, Premium Collection

We also have an exciting announcement! A new Ripe Pu-Erh has just been added to our shop from tea master Jason Chen’s private collection.

Like our 2019 Loose Ripe Pu-Erh, this one is also made from the Mengku tea cultivar.

Rare Young Tea Leaves

Unlike most Ripe Pu-Erh, this tea was harvested when the leaf sprouts were quite young. The delicate leaves bring sweetness to the tea’s taste.

In the image below, you can clearly see that the leaf size is smaller than our other two Ripe Pu-Erh teas. Unlike some pressed tea cakes where the leaves become broken, these loose leaves (maocha) remain beautifully whole.

Aged Over 10 Years

This premium tea has been aged since 2008. Aging smooths out any sharp edges or rough throat sensation that a newly-harvested Pu-Erh tea might have. After 14 years, the tea has become smooth and balanced.

Brewing Method

For this cupping we brewed the tea quite strong, using 3 grams of leaf per 6 fluid oz of hot water at 210°F (95-100°C). The brew time was 5 minutes. For a more comfortable flavor intensity, try brewing 2 grams of tea for 3 minutes.

Pu-Erh Fragrance and Liquid Appearance

Check the fragrance right after pouring, while it’s very fresh. Volatile scent compounds disappear quickly into the air.

Next, consider the tea liquid color. We noticed that the 2019 Mengku Loose looks darker than the others.

Ripe Pu-Erh Flavor

Jing Mai tea cake

This tea tastes the most different from the others for a few reasons. First, it’s from a different region. Second, pressing tea and storing it in cake form also affects the flavor.

It’s very smooth and velvety. Notes of vanilla echo the fragrance we enjoyed earlier.

2019 Mengku loose

This Pu-Erh tastes stronger than the others, which is in keeping with its darker brew color. As a loose Pu-Erh or maocha, it brews more quickly than a pressed cake would. There’s a deep richness to the flavor.

2008 Mengku Loose premium

The final Ripe Pu-Erh to taste is the 2008 superior-quality loose. It is the sweetest of the three.

It has been aging in storage longer than the other two teas. As a result, it is also the most smooth. Sometimes Pu-erh can cause a rough feeling in the throat if it’s too new. In this case, the aged tea is velvety and rich. The soft, soothing texture fills the mouth.

Ripe Pu-Erh Tea Tasting Reflection

All three teas are high quality Ripe Pu-erh. It would be difficult to rank them – the best tea always depends on the drinker’s preference.

Which is your favorite of the Ripe Pu-erh teas? Let us know on Instagram or Facebook, and let us know if you have questions we should answer in future videos!

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Sip along with us at home…

Useful Teaware for Ripe Pu-Erh