First, I guess I should ask if this happens to anybody else?
You're enjoying a cup of pu'erh, and half-way through it (or perhaps on the second cup) you can't taste it at all and your mouth is a bit tingly/numb. You can still smell the leaves strongly, so you know it's not the tea...
If you stop and come back many hours later and continue brewing, you get a brief glimpse of taste again, only to get swallowed back into nothingness.
Second, any ideas if it's the tea, or the person?
I've notice it happen before with young shengs, but the last day I've had it happen with an old 80s Xia Guan, which really surprised me. It's also been quite frustrating, because I still haven't really gotten to enjoy a good solid cup yet.
I'm sort of hoping it's just me, because then I can try this again later. If it's the tea... well, yikes, that's a shame!
Like most of the senses, taste can become habituated. I like to let the tea linger in my mouth for a few seconds, letting if flow over the sides of my tongue, sloshing it around a big before I swallow. I've also noticed that I take in a lot of air in my mouth when I sip tea, I think that helps in tasting as well- but I'm not sure. Of course- don't swallow the air that you take in unless you want gas.
I've changed nothing of my brewing habits for this cup of tea. So I'm pretty sure the parameters are fine, and the water is just as well, and its temperature when drinking, etc.
Although I agree that taste can get habituated, why would it only happen with ~2% of the teas I try?
This morning, directly after waking up, I brewed another pot of the tea (my 10th steeping at this point, for 5.5m total; and just did an 11th at 10m) -- and actually I got more flavor that I could actually sense through both cups.
So either I burned my mouth earlier on something, or the tea has lost its numbing potency. Hrm, I guess I will wait awhile for my next session and try again... crazy.
Although I agree that taste can get habituated, why would it only happen with ~2% of the teas I try?
This morning, directly after waking up, I brewed another pot of the tea (my 10th steeping at this point, for 5.5m total; and just did an 11th at 10m) -- and actually I got more flavor that I could actually sense through both cups.
So either I burned my mouth earlier on something, or the tea has lost its numbing potency. Hrm, I guess I will wait awhile for my next session and try again... crazy.
Jun 13th, '09, 14:17
Posts: 529
Joined: Jul 23rd, '08, 17:07
Location: The Isle of Malta
Oh, definitely. I know this sounds exaggerated, but according to my anatomy text book- about 80% of our taste comes from the olfactory senses.Trioxin wrote:From my wine days, you might want to give crackers and water a try to cleanse your pallet. Also, I wouldn't rule out your olfactory senses either. Sniff some coffee beans.
Jun 23rd, '09, 04:49
Posts: 78
Joined: Apr 16th, '09, 06:20
Location: Jinghong, Xishuangbanna
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zhi zheng
Is the tingling/numbing sensation all over your mouth?
Is it tea you have drunk before?
Is it old/ancient tree puer or plantation tea (taidi cha)?
Typically, if there is residue from pesticides etc it can produce the effects you described on the the tip of the tongue. This is present in the initial steepings as after a number of steepings, the chemicals will have been washed out ( and drunk presumably) and may no longer be obvious.
Is it tea you have drunk before?
Is it old/ancient tree puer or plantation tea (taidi cha)?
Typically, if there is residue from pesticides etc it can produce the effects you described on the the tip of the tongue. This is present in the initial steepings as after a number of steepings, the chemicals will have been washed out ( and drunk presumably) and may no longer be obvious.