If you purchase this product you will earn Comparative Tasting Experience: Spring vs Autumn Raw Pu-erh
Spring vs Autumn Pu-erh Cake Comparison Tasting Collection – a curated set of two raw Pu-erh tea cakes harvested from distinct seasons in the same year. Both cakes are crafted from wild arbor tea trees over 50 years old in the high mountains of Ma An Shan, West of Lincang, Yunnan —an area bordering Myanmar, renowned for its premium Pu-erh tea. These cakes are the result of three generations of dedication by the Du family, a local family deeply rooted in traditional tea-making craftsmanship.
This collection allows you to explore the seasonal differences between Spring and Autumn Raw Pu-erh tea harvested in the same year in 2020. After four years of subtle aging, the grassiness has mellowed, allowing the natural transformation to highlight the unique characteristics of spring and autumn teas.
With this set, you can compare the appearance, aroma, taste and aging transformation of these two teas side by side and appreciate the beauty of seasonal diversity in Pu-erh tea. Each cake is 100g, perfect for tasting now or aging further.
What's inside the tasting box?
Two 100g raw pu-era cake are curated inside the tasting set, each cake is 100g, total 200g in one set!
1. 2020 Spring Raw Pu-erh Cake 100g
- 2020 Spring Harvest
- Ma An Shan, Lincang, Yunnan
2. 2020 Autumn Raw Pu-erh Cake 100g
- 2020 Autumn Harvest
- Ma An Shan, Lincang, Yunnan
Key Differences Between Spring and Autumn Pu-erh
In the world of Puerh tea, the season in which the leaves are harvested plays a crucial role in shaping the flavor profile. The famous Chinese saying, “春水秋香”, translates to “Spring water, Autumn fragrance,” highlighting the distinct characteristics of teas from these two seasons. Spring Puerh is known for its layered complexity, offering a rich, nuanced taste that evolves with each sip. In contrast, Autumn Puerh shines with its pronounced fragrance, delivering a more aromatic experience that captivates the senses.
Below is a more detailed comparison that explores the specific differences between these two types of Puerh, shedding light on the factors that contribute to their unique characteristics.
The appearance of dry leaves varies between spring and autumn teas. Spring tea features smaller but thicker tea leaves alongside fat buds and a higher amount of pekoe. In contrast, autumn tea consists of larger leaves with smaller buds and thinner tea leaves. The colour of autumn dry leaves tends to be slightly more yellow and brown in tone compared to spring dry leaves.
Tasting Notes
- Spring 2020 Batch: Features a thicker, layered mouthfeel with some remaining astringency. It is slightly stronger and more bitter than the autumn batch, though four years of storage have transformed much of this bitterness into sweetness. The flavor profile includes floral, honey, and fruity notes, culminating in a sweet aftertaste.
- Autumn 2020 Batch: Offers a smooth, mellow mouthfeel, with some astringency remained. It presents floral, fruity and honey notes that enhance its overall smoothness and sweetness. Compared to spring tea, autumn tea is less long-lasting and lasts for fewer steeps.
Transformation Through Aging
- Spring Tea: With higher nutrients and natural components, spring Pu-erh transforms beautifully over time, becoming smoother, sweeter, and more enduring in taste. It is more apparent in its honey notes, and also retains its flavor over multiple steepings.
- Autumn Tea: Aromatic compounds in autumn tea make its fragrance even more pronounced with aging, but its flavor profile is typically lighter compared to the spring tea.
Why Do Spring Tea and Autumn Tea Taste Different?
Nutrient Accumulation and Growth Cycle
- Spring tea benefits from an entire year of nutrient accumulation. Over the winter, tea trees store nutrients in their roots, which are then released into the new growth during spring. This results in spring tea having higher concentrations of inner material and components such as amino acids, pectin, and polyphenols. These compounds contribute to its thicker body, layered mouthfeel, and complex taste. These compounds also contribute to astringency and bitterness in spring tea, particularly in freshly harvested tea.
- In contrast, autumn tea grows after the tea plants have already undergone multiple harvests during the year. While it is less nutrient-dense than spring tea, but it develops unique characteristics that set it apart, particularly in strong aroma and less astringency.
Seasonal Climate Differences
The seasonal climate significantly affects the chemical composition of tea leaves, influencing the presence of amino acids and aromatic compounds.
- Spring Climate: Higher humidity, moisture, and warmer temperatures during spring lead to increased water content in the tea leaves, resulting to the elevated levels of amino acids and pectin. The high content of amino acid contribute to a fresher, umami taste and more complex flavor profile with stronger astringency. The high level of pectin also enhance the sweetness, smoothness, and thicker texture of spring tea. This combination creates a layered, lingering mouthfeel that defines high-quality spring varieties.
- Autumn Climate: In contrast, cooler temperatures and lower humidity in autumn promote the development of aromatic oils and aroma-active compounds. These compounds are the primary contributors to the strong, rich fragrance of autumn tea, which is often more pronounced than that of spring tea. As a result, autumn tea is characterized by floral, fruity, or honey-like notes, reflecting its higher concentration of volatile compounds due to the drier conditions.
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