Puerh Junky: Feels Ox
So yesterday, the Puerh Junky settled upon the Ox Tuo after considerable hemming and hawing. It is the Year of the Ox after all, and any real quandaries should conceivably be resolved though the ox itself. If, for example, you in your life are having difficulty in making decisions, keeping proper records, or doing the dishes, chances are you’re suffering from Ox deficiency. Water buffalo or yak won’t do, it’s gotta be ox. Of course, ox puerh will do. In fact, it’s probably the best antidote for a number of 2021 conundrums.
So, the Puerh Junky unwilling to tempt the fates went for the Ox tuo, something mentioned earlier, but worth reminding you of. As far as remembering goes, I was reminded of just how doggone tightly pressed this tuo is. Tuo are notoriously hard pressed. They’re meant to be chunked. For cryin’ out loud (as my 6th teacher would say) don’t fleck your tuo. Your drinking experience will be horrible. Just get some chunks that are about right, precision here is not the key, and throw them into your brewing vessel.
This is exactly what I, the Puerh Junky, did. The brewing vessel was porcelain. A couple sizeable chunks and whatever crumbs all went in. It seemed like a lot, which it may have been but remember hard-pressed tuo are going to brew differently from your wispy Yiwus. They’re supposed to. Do you think when you’re out on the range with the deer and the antelope that you can afford to bother with all the knickknacks and paddy wacks of a fancy cake? Nyet!
2010 Tiger Tuo Closeup ’19
Similarly, the time given to waking (called rinsing the tea, which is a topic in itself) the puerh is also considerably longer than it is for loosely compressed offerings. This should be fairly obvious. Along the same lines, the amount of time that the chunks should rest after the rinse should be long as well. Ten minutes is a good place to start.
Inspect your leaves to gain a since of how long you’ll want your first infusion to be. If the chunks show signs of opening then brew shorter than if they don’t. Recognize that the intensity will build and it’s supposed to. The formula of 10s, 10s, 20s, 30s is all wrong but is especially wrong when it comes to tight compression. You’ll want to start out with a longer brew time, then shorten it up as the chunks open. Don’t EVER use some wrote formula for brewing your puerh; there are too many variables to account for to use a wrote prescription. Look at the leaves and make a call based on what the first infusion is like. Too bitter, shorten the time, so on.
These calls all became crystal clear should you use the Ox as your guide. Luke has the force, the Puerh Junky has the Ox. The first infusion was naturally quite perfect. I had a drinking vict… er partner and without any fanfare just served it up. Upon the first sip she said rather stunned, “This is good.” She was right.
The Ox is getting sweeter. It starts out light in colour but as you dig deeper a darker hue emerges reflective of its true age. It’s thick and round, fully Zen in the broth but a psychotically floral huigan that screams qualidad. Infusions very quickly turned to flashes as the monster started to emerge. Just a splash water calmed it. Altogether four infusions were had to full satisfaction. Then came the call from house music gods themselves in the qi.
