Hot Times Raw Pu erh

In these dog days most of us cut down on our consumption of ripe pu erh, favoring the raw stuff. It’s not altogether different from the wine world, where summertime is when people will indulge more in whites than reds. I’ll drink mine at slightly above room temp. The complexities of the brew become more apparent at around that temp.

Last summer, I did a lot of cold-brewing and sun tea. After brewed up, I’d just throw it in the fridge and drink that instead of water. I’d use ratios of about 2 parts raw to one part ripe. I remember reading about some fancy tea spot in NYC where a Japanese variety was served over ice. I think this could just as easily be done with a raw pu erh, possibly something on the fruity side like a good Bing Dao or musky like the Xigui. Even smoky or bitter notes might be nice over ice at this time of year, so long as the pu erh is on the raw side.

I think I’ll do a bit of a test and report back