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.

The black tortoise Xuanwu is one of the four heavenly guardians. She watches over the north, water and winter; her shell is black as deep water, her movement slow and irrevocable. Old masters say that aged shu is Xuanwu herself, descended into the cup: every sip pulls the body towards the earth, like a heavy but kind weight. Don't hurry her. Don't call her.

Terroir

1000–2000 m, mountainous country. red lateritic clay rich in iron and aluminium, well drained. tropics at altitude: warm humid air, heavy seasonal rains. 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

dry leaf: dark-chestnut twisted leaves and isolated golden buds; in the hand a deep warm scent of earth, wood and dried fruit

warmed: the warmed pile smells of warm black earth, dried mushrooms, ripe prune and a thin note of incense

after pour: after the rinse — wet forest, damp bark, prune, dark honey

taste: dark wood, prune, dried mushroom, sweet black earth; in the mature — date, warm molasses, incense

finish: long, soft, settling in the belly; the aftertaste lasts an hour or more, leaving in the body a 'warm anchor'

Properties

TCM: neutral-warm; lowers qi, warms the middle and the kidneys, helps the stomach with heavy food, gently dries damp

Modern: 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'

Cha qi: dense, descending; felt as 'the breath dropping into the belly' and a heaviness in the soles

Caffeine: 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. dates, dark dried fruit, baked sweet potato, meat dishes, dark chocolate, incense as a background. good in any company; especially — for long teas in which it is not frightening to lose count of time

Tea meditation

Descend, like a tortoise to the bottom.
This tea does not lift — it lowers.
Breathe with the belly. Each sip is a settling weight of the body.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Aged Shu Pu-erh?

What does Aged Shu Pu-erh taste like?

dark wood, prune, dried mushroom, sweet black earth; in the mature — date, warm molasses, incense

How much caffeine is in Aged Shu Pu-erh?

low (20–35 mg) — most caffeine is bound during fermentation

What are the effects of Aged Shu Pu-erh?

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'