Personal Preference

Some people prefer raw tea, while others prefer ripe tea—it's a matter of personal preference. Since its inception, ripe tea has always held a lower status. Deng Shi Hai says, "Store raw tea, drink ripe tea, savor aged tea." While he doesn't directly exclude ripe tea, the word used for raw tea is "store," which suggests treasuring it, and for aged tea, the serious "savor" is employed, whereas ripe tea is dismissed with the ordinary "drink." This indicates that in his view, ripe tea was never considered a tea fit for formal settings. However, there are many who enjoy drinking ripe tea—why is this so? The Taste of Pu'er Ripe Tea Most tea enthusiasts might find the taste of ripe tea strange upon their first sip, but "strange" doesn't necessarily mean unpleasant; it just doesn't conform to the traditional tastes of other teas. The reason ripe tea was created was to replace the rich and mellow old raw tea. During a specific historical period, it did fulfill this mission. However, fresh ripe tea often carries an indelible pile flavor, which is a significant drawback that makes it difficult for many enthusiasts to approach. Clearly, such ripe tea isn't a suitable…