#teasample

This is very important when first starting out and even once you’ve become more experienced. If a store does not offer a sample size of a puerh cake, then do not buy it, unless you are at least 95% positive you will like it. This kind of assurance does come from much time of tasting and research but until then, only buy what you can sample, otherwise you might be stuck with a 250g+ cake you hate. A sample size of 25g-50g is a perfect amount to start with to get a feel of a tea. The price of a sample size is usually a reflection of the price of a full cake, which directly relates to the first tip mentioned in Beginners Puerh #1.

Some reputable puerh sites may even offer educational puerh sample sets such as White2Tea. They offer 4 amazing sampler sets for starters. Two for ripe puerh and two for raw puerh. One sampler set is directed towards learning about how teas grown in different regions can differ as well as blends of teas from different regions. While the other sampler for each differs. For raw the second sampler revolves around harvest time and grade, while the ripe sampler revolves mainly around grade of leaf and blends of grades.

All of these samplers come with 4-5 mini cakes for a very reasonable price and are a big recommendation for anyone just starting out to gain a good understanding of harvest area, grading and development of the palate.

How much tea to buy your first time out is quite simple. Always start with a small amount. Generally I would recommend buying a minimum of 25g to a maximum of 50g per tea to start out. This will give you enough tea to brew a few cups in case you feel you need to go back and give one a second try. Find one that you really enjoy? Well then it comes down to how often you will drink it. I personally will buy up to 100g of a tea that I know I will drink often.

You may even find a tea that you really enjoy, but it’s not something you will be drinking all the time. I would recommend sticking with 50g at a time. If stored properly 50g will take you all long way, especially if it’s a tea you will only drink on occasion. (More about tea storage later.)

But generally, you want enough tea to brew at least 2-4 cups, so you have enough to taste test again if needed. Now with that being said, sometimes the person behind the counter might say, “this tea is a little heavy, so I would recommend getting a little more to start”. This is usually good advice, as 50g of one tea is not the same as 50g of another. Tea can vary in weight, so it might be wise to buy 50g of a heavier tea to ensure you have a good amount to do a couple taste tests.

Tea samplers and variety packs such as the one above from DavidsTea, are also excellent ways to start out. You usually get a good variety of teas, in appropriate amounts for a decent price. A lot of these sets are usually comprised of the stores best sellers, so you will get to try a lot of the “good stuff” to start. Sometimes you can even buy samplers curated around certain flavor profiles or types, such as samplers comprised of only green teas, or comprised of only floral scented teas.

Now you will no doubt get caught up in all the chaos of delicious smells and aromas, and wanna try everything. My advice to you is this: Pick no more than 6 teas and no less then 3 teas to start (if buying from behind the counter). You don’t wanna overload yourself  and you don’t wanna break the bank. You can always come back for more later.

Keep a small diary of which teas you like or create a rating system. I personally will rate my tea samples out of 5, and right the rating on the bag. It just makes it way easier to remember what you loved and what you will pass on next time.