My experience with Citrus Puer

INTRODUCTION.

4 days ago I was thinking of writing a blog post about Citrus Puer Tea. But I was too lazy and told myself I’d do it the following day. And here I am 4 days later ... writing about it. But with a completely different approach. Namely, when I first thought about writing this blog post, I wanted to say that this tea did not really delight me, and that the aroma was  too citrusy and not something I would reach for every day. That day I prepared the tea the  gong fu way and drank it in a hurry. The next day when I revisited it to “establish my new knowledge,” it truly surprised me. 

WHAT AM I WRITING ABOUT AT ALL?

Citrus Puer Tea is Puer tea that after fermentation is left to age in the peel of a tangerine (or an orange depending on the type). While preparing this tea, you could also tear off a couple of pieces of dried tangerine peel and soak it together with the tea leaves. This tea has a strong citrusy aroma that perfectly complements the taste of Puer tea. 

 THEN WHAT IS MY OPINION ABOUT THIS TEA?

When I tried this tea again I realized that it had a lot more to it than I initially thought. I prepared the tea again in the Gong Fu way, approximately 3 grams per 50ml of hot water, ca. 95C. I do not want to go into a detailed analysis because I simply want to tell you about  my experience in a broader manner. So when I smelled the tea the smell was strong but those citrusy notes were quite interesting. The smell was not the one of a fresh orange but it was the deep aroma of citrus, which makes sense given the fact that puerh had aged in the peel of a tangerine. The leaves also had an engraved scent of aged citrus in them. That citrusy taste, however, provided the Ripe Puerh tea with a delightful level of freshness, adding even more complexity to it. The taste is surprisingly light and has a fresh aftertaste that stays in the mouth for a while.  One of the things I like about this tea, is the fact that the classic puerh flavor may not be obvious at first, but by paying a bit more attention to the taste, you can easily notice that it’s perfectly blended with the citrus notes, giving it an amazing  distinct aroma. Also, this is quite subjective, but the taste and smell make me somewhat nostalgic, as if they were taking me back to 2015 when the leaves where first picked. It’s a really interesting feeling, which I don’t know how to express but I hope you understand what I mean. 

WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN BUYING THIS TEA

Let me just briefly address this topic, because I think this tea is not for everyone. If you’re expecting a simple Puer tea, this is not it. If you’re expecting fresh bright citrus notes, this is still not it. (By this I mean if you’re expecting a freshly-peeled orange scent, or if you’ve recently been drinking orange-flavored tea, this is not what you’re going to get). This is a truly special type of tea that I think is worth trying because it is a truly unique experience.