No matter how long or brief the brew is, Pu-erh lets off a pungent, earthy scent that could almost make you retch. Fortunately, it doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it smells. This deep and heavy Chinese black will not, however, ever find itself amongst my favourite teas and, bottom shelf material, I shall indeed keep it on the bottom shelf where it will be out of sight.
I suppose it is an acquired taste, one that I have certainly not yet acquired, and the sad thing is, I don’t think I ever will. It’s really a tonic, a detox regime in and of itself, and we all know that medicine never tastes nice, even if you do take it with a spoon full of sugar… or six.
I’m just wondering, did you rinse the leaves before brewing?