Monday TeaDay 4/19/10 Pu-erh up?

[Chip]

It is TeaDay everyone. So, bring your cup of tea and share with everyone what teas you are drinking today. Half the fun is seeing what teas other TeaChatters are sipping as well.

Yesterday we discussed English/Western TeaPots. You can still share your English/Western TeaPots, vote, and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Continuing last weeks topics, it is the enigmatic tea's turn. Share with us if you care to about your experience with Pu-Erh. Love it, like it, hate it, yet to try it. Let it all out here. Are there some Pu-erh you like more than others?

I will be looking for you on TeaDay and hope you honor us with sharing what is in your cup! Bottoms up.

[Victoria]

I have Pu-erh occasionally, I have some nice uncooked and loose, but I've had some from good cakes too. I'd probably have it more if I knew what I was doing, or someone recommend something to me. I ordered a bunch of samples 2 months ago but they still have not arrived. Bummer.

[Geekgirl]

Love it, go through phases drinking it. Sometimes I have it daily, and sometimes weeks will go by while I enjoy other teas.

[entropyembrace]

I like puerh but I don´t drink it very often...I don´t buy a lot of it and I really have to be in the right mood to drink it...I go for tea with more high notes like Darjeeling and Oolong mostly.

My gf on the other hand brews up a pint of shu at a time and drinks it nearly every day.

[debunix]

I love puerh. I don't drink it every single day only because I also love oolong, green tea, and occasionally some white and black tea slips in there too.

My first tea love was a dark traditional roast Ti Kuan Yin (red tin, label says "Sea Dyke Brand"), so the next step to puerh was actually quite smooth. My dad introduced me to it as he had to the Ti Kuan Yin, but all I remember about that day was that it was a very earthy tea and that I loved it. I had no idea of beengs and bricks and sheng and shu. I didn't revisit it until years later, when I first bought a tin of Rishi's mini-tuos, loved it, and not long thereafter made my first pilgimmage to Wing Hop Fung to buy a proper beeng. I still have some of that first beeng, and still don't know if it was sheng or shu. Still pleasant, either way.

I would still put the oolongs higher on my list than puerh, but I do adore my pus.

My tea sunday started with a taste-off between two different senchas from Denstea (verdict: I couldn't tell the difference between Zuiko and Shin-ryoku, liked them both), but moved on to a nice smoky earthy sweet "Hainan purple bud" sheng from norbu, which was reliably smoky/earthy/sweet and altogether wonderful.

[dooble]

I've not really tried pu-erh. I just got two free samples though, one sheng, one shu. Will be interesting to try these out and compare
Just drank Yu Lan Xiang

[CynTEAa]

Pu Erh is a great rainy day tea for me. I have to be in a soulful mood for them.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

[msmeghann82]

Other: I have not tried Pu-erh because I am scared to try it. I think I may get the guts one of these days, as I have been sent some Pu-erh chai and might be able to handle it. But the reviews of the aroma of Pu-erh have left me a bit nervous to give it a shot.

[Trey Winston]

Haven't tried it, but it's on the shortlist - a list that's now very long indeed, thanks to my years on TeaChat.

[brad4419]

I like pu and drink it occasionally, especially on holidays before a big feast. I like sheng better than shu but I think this is because I got a bad tuo of shu. Every time I drank just a few 100ml infusions I got really light headed and felt really "messed up" Other than that the taste was very good but that kind of puts me off drinking it. I still have some left, I should revisit it and see if its the same result.

kenilworth in my cup

[geeber1]

I didn't care much for it when I tried it, but my husband loves it. So far he's only had cooked, though.

Nilgiri Glendale OP in my cup this morning.

[gingkoseto]

I love some puerh but feel indifferent about many others. I've tasted many puerh samples. To be honest, when I feel indifferent about a puerh, I am really HAPPY because many puerh drinkers I know are crazy people who pile up puerh all over the house Of course when I find a puerh I like, I am happy too!

[cha-fu]

I really like Pu-erh, drinking it virtually everyday. Typically have 2 different Pu's a day (with about 15 Pu's in rotation). Sometimes 3 when trying a sample or newly acquired Pu. Mostly Shu (ripe) Pu and sometime supplement with Sheng (raw), particularly in warmer days, or other teas. Prefer 15+ yo Shu or 20+ yo Sheng. Go through about 2 liters a day (getting warmer these days), including a 34 oz thermo for work .

Two Shu's in my cups today, late 1980 Shu cake/beeng and early 1990 Shu brick.

[depravitea]

I love it! I drink it VERY often (virtually everyday). I also give it away as samples to my friends and even some tea vendors in an effort to get them to stock it!
Gonna have a bit of my Shu Pu Tuo today!

[artmom]

It's on my shortlist, and I have the Maestro Yunnan Pu erh Gold sample from Adagio, so I just may jump in today!

No tea yet, but expect it'll be Black Pearl as I find that so satisfying and so easy to make --no measuring, weighing, spilling tea leaves, etc.! Can either drink it alone or with breakfast -- well, it'd be brunch at this time of day!