Part 2: The Puerh Adventure Begins

Image compliments of JAS-eTea.com

Your first question might be why turn to Stephen Shelton of Jas-eTea when embarking on a puerh adventure.

Facebook. Although neither of us could pick the other from a crowd, Facebook friends are there for one another. He took my call. 

It's also worth noting that Stephen currently possesses one of the largest inventories of puerh in the U.S. He deals directly with small tea estates and prefers limited productions.

He kindly sent generous samples and more than I had anticipated. There's was a 2011 Old Tree Raw Puerh from Jinggu Cloud Mountain, a 2008 Menghai Classic Ripe and a 2005 Yong Pin Hao Stone-Pressed Yi Wu Mountain among others.

This actually sent me into a panic. I was now committed. Who lets a Facebook friend down by pouring his tea soup down the drain? What had I gotten myself into?

"Stephennnnnn!!!!" 

"Yes, Laurie."

"I don't quite know where to start"...she said with false calm, not wanting him to think he had to talk her off the ledge. 

"The Jinggu Purple Bud is particularly smooth and a good gateway into puerh. Open the bag and take a whiff."

Take a whiff?! He wanted me to smell it while he waited? Bats flew helter skelter.

"Oh....sure." Good Lord, is it terribly wrong to lie to a Facebook friend? Could I get away with a vague, "Ahhhhh....." and not ever open the bag?

Resolve won over whining and white lies. I opened the bag and peered into it while holding it at arm's length. With a growing sense of safety I allowed it a fleeting sweep past my nose, testing for olfactory ambush.

Dried florals. Hay. No bats. An invitation. Accepting, I buried my nose in the bag and inhaled deeply.

Truly lovely.

"Thanks for underpinning, Stephen. I can take it from here."

Standing tall in the way only those who've conquered can, I bring 180 ml to fish eyes, the stage where large, lazy bubbles - like fish eyes - rise to the surface. Gently pouring that over 8 grams of Jinggu Purple Bud, it "awakens" for twenty seconds before I pour off. The leaves rest a minute before more water is added and allowed a 10-second steep. No straining off the leaves for this first infusion.

Only 10 seconds you exclaim? It is an extremely short brew time yet this is simply the way of puerh. But also keep in mind we're using eight grams of tea rather than the standard 2.5 per 180 ml of water (roughly six ounces of water).

The brew is golden, yet so pale its roundness in my mouth is shocking. The mouth feel is tremendous and smooth. Hay still comes to mind - yet the finish is long and distinctly honey-like. I could drink this tea all day. The second infusion, now 20 seconds, continues to hold my interest.

"Stephen!"

That 3-hour trek by foot to reach Wenshan, the remote village where you purchase this tea? Worth every step."

Emboldened, I reach for the 2006 Haiwan "Remote Mountain Ancient Tree" raw puerh. Stay tuned for Part 3: In Deep with Puerh.