Raw (Sheng) Puerh

Young raw puerh is the most aggressive cup on this page — camphor-bitter, hui gan (a sweetness that returns down the throat), and caffeine to spare. It exists to age: stored properly, ten years soften it toward stone fruit and honey. Beginners: start with 5–8 year-old sheng, gongfu-style with short steeps and a rinse — young raws at Western strength are a rite of passage most skip twice.