Help me get into Pu-erh? (leaves, cakes, pots, advice etc..)

[Deleted User #30675]

I'm still rather new to tea, and I've been trying out different kinds. I like to give each kind a good try, and learn how to brew it right to see what it has to offer.

And now it's Pu-erh's turn.

The only Pu-erh I've tasted so far is something called the king of Pu-erh in loose leaves form. It was really thick and the colour dark, almost entirely black with a lovely earthy sweet taste, I actually used a little more leaf than was suggested to me. I loved it.

I dare say it's the best tea I've tasted thus far.

So, what I'm asking for is a little guidance.. Which types to try next, a good yixing pot for Puerh.. and general advice.

And please provide links to the stores, preferably chinese ones that takes paypal... otherwise I'm just lost.

Oh, and a question.. how long can I store Pu-erh in loose leaf form before it starts to go bad?

Thanks.

[chrl42]

Any Pu seller would recommend Shu for a starter, but I don't!

I'd recommend some with well-known factories, 5-yr/10-yr/15-yr try-out if possible.

As for Yixing, I'd recommend nothing but good pouring quality, such as Shi Piao, Fang Gu etc..small leaves get stuck on holes really bothers me when brewing Pu, as thick as keeping heat.

I am a starter as well..

[raveme]

i've noticed that the guys around here find Yunnan Sourcing a really good shop for everything that is pu erh and yixing. i haven't tried them yet, but surely will next month or so... when the cash comes in

[PolyhymnianMuse]

i've noticed that the guys around here find Yunnan Sourcing a really good shop for everything that is pu erh and yixing. i haven't tried them yet, but surely will next month or so... when the cash comes in

I think scott would be the way to go for sure. He has a good variety of some older new stuff (I think he has some things as old as 2000) and offers samples for a good number of the cakes he sells. I have ordered from him a few times now and have been nothing but happy with everything. The only thing I can complain about is the wait to recieve my packages from china, but you can always purchase faster shipping

[Salsero]

It would be helpful to have more information about the one you liked. For a start, do you know if it was cooked (shu) or raw (sheng).

[xuancheng]

you should check out the sticky at the top of the pu'er section here on teachat. there are links there to yunnan sourcing and puerh shop, two popular and relatively inexpensive places with good selections. You should also follow the links in the same sticky post to the reviews of different teas from these shops, which are quite helpful in making your way through the very confusing world of pu'er. There are some other quite famous (in the american online tea world) web resources:
http://www.pu-erh.net/
http://puerh_tea.livejournal.com/

my advice: get lots of samples!

[Deleted User #30675]

It would be helpful to have more information about the one you liked. For a start, do you know if it was cooked (shu) or raw (sheng).

I'm guessing it was Cooked..

It looks like this:

http://www.larutadelte.com/images/Selec ... Pu-erh.jpg

Anyway, thanks guys for all the suggestions.

[shogun89]

yep thats cooked alright.

[tenuki]

that looks like what I always recommend to first time drinkers - gong ting loose puerh, also called imperial puerh ( or it looks like king of puerh, which is probably a mis-translation of imperial).

I would mention puerhshop (cheaper) and Hou De (more expensive) if you are in the US - they both have samples and it's much quicker shipping than ordering from china.

[hop_goblin]

have Guang from Houde pick out a couple of newbie samples for ya. HE will be happy to help.

www.houdeasianart.com

[shogun89]

I would personally go with Puerh Shop for your first samples. Jim is great to work with and has good tea at a fair price. Dont get me wrong, Houde is a great source but it is a bit pricey. . .

[hop_goblin]

I would personally go with Puerh Shop for your first samples. Jim is great to work with and has good tea at a fair price. Dont get me wrong, Houde is a great source but it is a bit pricey. . .

You are correct about the price difference. I generally like to start people off on their pu journey with higher quality pu-erh. Many people get turned off from pu right from the get go only because their pu was some mediocre or subpar stuff bought at a whim. This is not to say that Jim does not have good stuff as I like his stock very much. However, what I am suggesting is that Guang at Houde has some of the rarer stock that has been alreadyt been acclaimed by many of the pu collectors abroad and here at home. As for Jim, let's just say that his stock is not as "lusterous" as some would like, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. But you do have a point because if you don't like pu know matter how great some say it is, you literally piss your money down the drain.

[Deleted User #30675]

Thanks guys..

Ordered a few bricks/leaves/cakes from Puershop & Yunnan, and hopefully they will arrive within two weeks.

[hop_goblin]

Thanks guys..

Ordered a few bricks/leaves/cakes from Puershop & Yunnan, and hopefully they will arrive within two weeks.

Good luck