Description of the tastes and smells of puer

We would like to draw your attention to an article that can help all tea lovers, and especially puer lovers, to come to a common understanding, having common criteria for assessing the quality of puer.

It will be easier for tea people to understand each other if, when talking about the taste and aroma of pu-erh, they use the same terms that describe our favorite tea in detail, helping to build a series of associations.

Miscellaneous:

- Chasin (tea character) – tea character.

- 茶质 (chazhi) – quality of tea.

- 青味 (qingwei) – the taste of freshness (sometimes has a negative character if the tea is poorly dried or fermentation is not stopped well).

- Ziwei (taste) – taste.

- 茶汤 (chatan) – tea infusion.

- 品尝 (pinchang) – to try, to taste, to enjoy.

- 浓 (nun) – strong, strongly brewed.

- 淡 (dan) – weak, weakly brewed.

- 淡薄 (danbao) - weak, weakly brewed.

- 芳香 (fangxiang) – fragrant aroma.

- 香气 (xiangqi) - smell

- Kougan (口感) – taste.

Positive taste characteristics:

- 樟香 (zhangxiang) – a smell reminiscent of camphor, indicates good, correct quality of aged sheng puer.

- 新鲜 (xinxiang) – fresh.

- Xinen (sinen) – tender.

- 醇 (chun) – pure, active, wholesome, wine-like taste of alcohol (also used in China to evaluate good wine).

- 纯 (chun) – pure.

- 涩 (xie) – astringent, many people like astringent shengs. Particularly good for teas that are going to age, this taste will change over many years to softer, but also active, fruity tones.

- 苦 (ku) – bitter.

- 甘 (gan) – sweet (often as an aftertaste, a reaction to bitterness and astringency).

- 甜 (tian) – sweet.

- 润滑 (润) (Runhua) – sliding, slippery, easily passing through the throat and pleasantly moistening it (often for shu pu-erhs and for aged shengs).

- 回甘 (huigan) – aftertaste (often pleasant, sweetish).

- Ganyun tianzhi (ganyun tianzhi) – the quality of tea to give a pleasant aftertaste 3-5 minutes after tipping over a cup of tea.

- Tsentsigan (tsenzigan) – the ability of tea, brewing after brewing, to produce more and more new flavors.

- 烟熏味 (yanxunwei) - the taste of smoke, moderately good, an acquired taste. Many people in Yunnan, drying tea on the fire (when there is no sun, and tea needs to be dried) or storing it in the house where there is a fireplace get this taste. Many people are used to drinking this kind of tea.

- 兰香 (lanxiang) – orchid stock (characteristic of tea from Jingmai Mountain).

- Shenzhanxiang (参樟香) – a mixed scent of camphor and ginseng.

- 枣香 (zaoxiang) – the smell of Chinese dates.

- 荷香 (hexiang) – the scent of lotus flowers.

- 参香 (shenxiang) – the smell of ginseng.

- 厚重 (houzhong) – a dense, strong smell or taste.

- 陈香 (chenxiang) – the smell of ripe (aged) tea

- Yuecheng yuexiang (越陈越香) – a famous expression – the longer it lies, the better it smells.

- Qingshuang (爽爽) – a pleasantly refreshing scent.

- Pinghe (pinghe) – harmony, harmonious.

- 霸气 (baqi) – hegemonic, predominant, strong (often synonymous with astringent-bitter tastes).

- 强 (qiang) – powerful.

Negative taste cues:

- Muzhihua (woody smell) – poorly fermented shu puerh

- 锁喉 (sohou) – blocked throat, similar to dryness, opposite of - 润滑 (runhua)

- 酶味 (meiwei) – the smell of mold (spoiled tea has become moldy).

- Canwei (smelly) – the smell of a warehouse, stale.

- Shuiwei (water smell) – the smell of water, typical for freshly prepared shu pu-erhs, has the ability to evaporate after some time.

- Ganwei (dryness, dry taste).

- Qiji (prickly) – similar to dry.

- 烟焦味 (yanjiaowei) – smoky charring (non-compliance with technology, especially when drying too much tea in one sitting).