Aged Shu Pu-erh (熟普洱)
archetype: Black turtle Xuanwu
The black tortoise Xuanwu moves through deep water: an earthen wisdom, a woody sweetness, a dark descending qi.
History
Shu puer is a relatively young style (the 'wo dui' — 'wet pile' — technology was developed in Kunming in 1973). Until then, puer existed only as 'sheng' — a leaf maturing for decades. 'Wo dui' imitates that ageing: the leaf is heaped in great piles and watered with warm water, holding 50–70 °C and 80% humidity for 45–60 days. With the years the 'compost' note of a young shu fades, and what remains is a woody depth, prune and a sweet black earth. Aged shu (10+ years) is one of the gentlest teas there is.
Terroir
The best leaf for shu is Da Ye ('big leaf') of the Yunnanese tea subspecies (Camellia sinensis var. assamica). The old gardens of Menghai are the standard; the fermentation model 'Menghai 7572' is considered the benchmark of the style.
Leaf
dark wood, prune, dried mushroom, sweet black earth; in the mature — date, warm molasses, incense long, soft, settling in the belly; the aftertaste lasts an hour or more, leaving in the body a 'warm anchor'
Properties
high content of polyphenols and fermentation products (Aspergillus statins, lovastatin-like); helps fat metabolism, mildly lowers blood lipids — the well-known 'tea after a feast' dense, descending; felt as 'the breath dropping into the belly' and a heaviness in the soles low (20–35 mg) — most caffeine is bound during fermentation
Brewing ritual
an Yixing pot of 110 ml in hunni clay — it absorbs shu over the years; 100 °C, boiling; 7 g / 110 ml. 8s — the first dark sip: wood, prune; 10s — the peak: dried mushroom, sweet black earth; 12s — a deep woody sweetness; 15s — a long dark calm; 22s — a late earth trail; 35s — a slow depth — nothing hurries; 55s — the finale — a warm echo in the belly; 80s — a very long tail — drinks for hours.
When to drink
day and early evening; ideal after lunch or supper. autumn, winter and a damp shoulder season. after a heavy meal, on days when the head is in the clouds and one wants to stand on the earth, after a heavy emotional day