Perfect Brewing: Young Ripe Pu-erh

It is through an artful and multifaceted process that Pu-erh reaches its distinctive and complex flavors. It must also be brewed carefully to reach its potential in releasing its many flavors. The first step is to ensure you brew your Pu-erh at the right temperature based on whether it is young or aged and raw or ripe. This blog series is intended to help you differentiate between types of Pu-erh tea, and how to achieve the perfect brew for each of them.

Young Ripe Pu-er water may not have the sweetness or aroma of an aged ripe tea, but it has a pleasant mellowness that can be soothing to the digestion. Still, because of the untamed, lively nature of the tea, it’s crucially important to make sure you brew the tea correctly, so as to bring out its optimal character.

The flavors  of the young ripe Pu-erh will disperse very rapidly into the water, so the best practice is to rinse and steep the tea for less time than most other Pu-erh teas. To arrive at the ideal temperature, boil the water then let the temperature drop slightly before using it to brew the tea. After the temperature drops a bit, quickly infuse the tea to perfectly bring out its mellow richness.