Shou Pu'er
Ripe pu'er: Yunnan maocha put through wo dui pile fermentation for about 40-60 days, producing a dark, earthy, smooth tea without decades of aging.
Definition
Shou pu'er (ripe or cooked pu'er) was developed in the early 1970s at the Kunming Tea Factory, with Menghai Tea Factory soon following, as a way to imitate the dark character of long-aged pu'er quickly. Sun-dried maocha is piled in large heaps, sprayed with water and covered. Microbes, including Aspergillus species and yeasts, raise the pile's temperature, and workers turn the heap every week or so. The process, wo dui, takes roughly 40 to 60 days. After fermentation the leaf is dried, sorted and either sold loose or pressed. The liquor is dark red-brown to almost black, with flavors of damp earth, wood, cocoa, dates and sometimes camphor. Bitterness and astringency are low. Freshly made shou often has a fishy or "pile" smell, called wo dui wei. Producers and buyers usually let it rest one to several years so that smell dissipates. Shou also continues to change with age, but less dramatically than sheng.
In Depth
Brew with boiling water, 95-100°C (203-212°F). Use 5-7 g per 100 ml in a gaiwan or clay pot, do one or two quick rinses to clear dust and pile aroma, then infuse 5-15 seconds. Shou is forgiving: overbrewing makes it darker and stronger, rarely bitter. It also works Western style at 2-3 g per 250 ml for 2-4 minutes.
Signs of good shou: a clear, glossy red-brown liquor, a sweet earthy smell after rinsing, and a thick mouthfeel. A cloudy or murky liquor, a sour taste, or a persistent fishy smell after several infusions indicates poor fermentation or not enough rest.
Fermentation depth varies. Lightly fermented shou keeps some brightness and a reddish leaf; heavily fermented shou has black, soft leaf. Small golden-bud shou (gong ting grade) is made from tips and tastes smoother but less complex.
See Also
- Pu'er Fermentation
- Menghai Tea Factory
- Dark Tea