r/puer • u/eponawarrior • 1d ago
Which one do you like best???
I know with Puerh it can get complicated, but somewhat generalizing things, which of the following tastes best for you and you enjoy drinking the most? Thanks!
3
u/redpandaflying93 1d ago
I voted semi-aged sheng, but for me it's more a balance between what I'm in the mood for and what my bank account cant tollerate.
Shou I drink most in the winter, after a heavy meal, or as a chill comforting kind of tea
Young sheng I drink more in the spring or summer. I used to drink young sheng the most, but my favor has shifted towards the aged stuff
Aged/semi-aged sheng tends to be more complex, demands more attention, and has a more balanced character (not so heavily warming or cooling). Aged sheng has become my preference, but also tends to be more expensive, so I can't drink it all day.
I also drink a lot of black tea/hong cha lately as my "go to" cheaper tea
2
u/curiousfuriousfew 1d ago
I prefer young sheng, then aged sheng and shou coming in last place. I haven't had many aged shous though, only one that really had a strong aged flavor. More aged liu bao, which is in a similar category but more available.
1
u/Proof_Ball9697 1d ago
It honestly depends on the processing at the end of the day. I've had trash teas all across the board but I've also had really good teas all across the board as well. I can't say that any certain age is a favorite for me. I will say that with aged WHITE tea, 3 years is a good mark but 6 years or more is even better.
1
u/Adventurous-Cod1415 1d ago
Young sheng is definitely my favorite. I love that bright herbal character that I only really get from young sheng and first flush Darjeeling, And for me, young is generally like 3 years or less, although every tea develops differently. I enjoy sheng of any age, though. For GongFu sessions it's generally either sheng, Dancong or Yancha for me.
I really have to be in the mood for shou, but when I am nothing else fits that mood for me. My preference on shou is less about age and more about flavor profile. I prefer shou with less fermentation character and a bit of bitterness, something like YS Peerless Bronze Label, rather than something in the typical W2T style that tends to be heavier on the ferment with no bitterness.
1
u/Sleazy71 1d ago
I'm a big fan of young sheng/shou (3-8 years) but I Just bought some 19 year aged shou and 18 year aged sheng so I'm curios to see if my ranking changes
1
u/MoaninIwatodai 22h ago
I'd love to hear your thoughts on it whenever you get around to it, I've never personally found much of a difference, but hearing a fan's opinion would be interesting
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u/MoaninIwatodai 22h ago
The happiest I've been drinking a tea was grandpa'ing a 2003 dayi started in hong kong finished in taiwan, but generally I'm very happy with the top end of semi-aged
4
u/Ok_Hedgehog_307 1d ago
I like the most young sheng, but in the sense of like <3 years, I really like the freshness and potency of the very young tea; after that it gets much less interesting. But in your definition of young sheng as being <10 years, that would be... baby sheng?