I agree with you pancakes. Many raw puer selections I have tried were quite unbearable in taste. However, I think CHAWANG is right too, I did go around sampling fresh raw puer of higher qualities and the taste can be delightful. However, I have to warn those who want to try that, especially women with not so strong stomachs, as also in my case, to drink with restrain. The headache and stomach upset can last two to three days if over-drunk.
Shu puer does have that problem for me. In my experience, “golden” tips etc do not always mean better taste. I do find the taste in smaller leaf size depletes a bit faster than larger ones, given the same level of quality. Some good quality selections from “famous mountains” can be very good, but not always. I think some are too much over priced. Famous mountain shu puer types do look loosely twisted, but I have found that how twisted or neat looking the are has nothing to do with taste. Same for small leaf types. I guess there are many things working together to result in quality.
I have to also mention that the sheng puer “raw reserve” in Tea Hong is a great shu kind of raw tea. It has the complexity of raw puer and the milder character and darker color of shu tea and at low price. It is an exception in my experience.
