The spectrum that exists within puerh tea is amazingly vast, flowing with complexity, subtle layers and nuances. Fine-tuning your senses to this unique spectrum and sensation opens your perception to a deeper appreciation and insight of puerh tea.
One of the advantages of experience is being able to look back and reflect on the changes that come with the journey. An area that has been occupying my thoughts is the development and evolution of my taste and perception. A part of me regrets not taking greater control SOONER in managing the pace and direction of this development. It would have saved me money, time and brought about greater opportunities. Most tea drinkers do not question their ability to taste and discern characteristics in tea but accept it for what it is. Group tea gatherings highlight the divide between highly discerning tea drinkers and those who register little from what they drink. The general acceptance has always been everyone’s palate is different whether it is genetics, health, personal preferences, and whilst this is true I would add that the level of development in each individual governs much of their capability. The outcome/significance from the accumulation of your tea experience or lack off defines your ability to perceive, assess and appreciate the tea you drink. For a deeper examination, how seriously you take your tea, the type of tea, amount you drink, frequency, especially over time, this repetitive familiarity and honing of the senses shape our evolution of taste and thereafter refine our perception of tea in that respective direction.
Stepping back to see the journey from a distance has allowed me to work towards more meaningful goals. It is worth noting that the transformation of my taste and perception took many years for which I accredit much to having a consistent drinking routine and a quality stable of teas. To understand the role of time is to see it as a variable that acts to reinforce and amplify what is practiced and gained through a repetitive sequence. I have given considerable thought on how to convey the key benchmarks through the images below which is intended to be thought provoking and self-serving. For the serious tea drinker this is a powerful development towards becoming better equipped in understanding tea, and not least in tackling fundamental issues such as 1) discerning the different shades of green and type of bitterness associated with leaf material/tea processing, 2) discerning varying levels of HK (wet) storage/ripe fermentation, 3) discerning different storage conditions and their respective age at different points of maturity. All in all it is a journey of growth and maturity, and one that rewards those who are diligent and able with an elevated sense to see and appreciate the splendor of puerh.
Beginners who are new to puerh tea connect primary to the easiest and most common areas within the spectrum. Processing new and unfamiliar characteristics is challenging to the senses leading to confusion, a lack of clarity and a tendency to lump everything together.
Exploring the many categories of puerh and their permutations (ex. regions, leaf material, processing, wet/dry storage, age) and overcoming the initial limitation of our palate and perception opens our awareness to the spectrum of puerh tea.
Fine-tuning our senses to the spectrum of puerh tea rewards the serious tea drinker with heightened clarity and a greater awareness of the details within the tea. The beauty of puerh tea increasingly blossoms the further you walk along this journey.