Buy Small Portions First: Sampling and Split Portions
The most reliable way to judge pu'er is always to drink it. Photos, introductions, and reviews are only references; brew it and drink it once, and you'll know immediately whether you like it. So before buying a whole cake or a whole tong, sampling a small portion is the cheapest way to go, and the one you're least likely to regret.
Can You Buy Small Portions First?
Yes. Common options include:
- Sample packs: The shop portions out one brewing's worth of several teas so you can compare them all at once.
- Split portions: Part of a whole cake is pried off, for example 25 g, 50 g, or 100 g.
- Small-format products: Dragon pearls (about one brewing each), mini tuocha, small square bricks, and tea bags are small portions by nature.
- Loose tea: Can be bought by weight.
Every shop does things differently; ask the shop directly whether they offer split portions and what the minimum is. Guyuntang's Bingdao Old Village Dragon Pearls come in 8 g pearls, 10 per bag, which also makes a great starting point for getting to know Bingdao tea.
How Many Infusions Should You Sample?
A tea's first few infusions and later ones can differ a lot, so don't draw conclusions after only one or two:
- At least 6–8 infusions: Using everyday gaiwan brewing, drink from start until the liquor turns pale.
- Observe three stages: Early (infusions 1–3) for aroma and entry; middle (4–6) for body and huigan; late (7 onward) for staying power and foundation.
- Try again: If possible, brew it again the next day under the same conditions to rule out how you felt that day.
If you only have enough for one brewing, drink that session to the end. You can also use the evaluation method: 3 g of tea and 150 ml of boiling water, steeped once for 2 minutes and once for 5 minutes, to see strengths and flaws quickly; the method is in The Standard Evaluation Procedure.
What to Watch for When Sampling
1. Keep conditions fixed
Use your usual teaware, usual water, and usual leaf amount, and note the time for each infusion. That way, your results will match how the tea actually tastes when you drink it later.
2. Not on an empty stomach, and not right after strongly flavored food
The state of your mouth affects your judgment.
3. Comparison is most accurate
Brew a tea you know well side by side, and the differences will be much clearer; see Comparative Tasting.
4. Look at all five factors
Whether the liquor is bright, whether the aroma is clean, whether bitterness and astringency dissolve, whether your throat feels comfortable afterward, and whether the spent leaves are springy.
5. Ask yourself whether you'd want to drink it again
That's the most honest standard.
Are Split Portions Reliable?
Splitting is a common and perfectly reasonable practice, but there are a few things to watch:
- Representativeness: A cake's surface and inner tea may differ (surface sprinkling); a split portion taken only from the surface will look better than the whole cake. Good split portions take samples from different parts.
- Source: Ask which tea, which batch, which year, and which origin it was split from.
- Packaging: Split tea should be sealed in clean, odor-free bags and labeled with the name and weight.
- Time: Split tea kept too long may absorb odors or moisture, so sample it soon.
Split portions are just for "trying." If you like it and buy a whole cake, it's best to confirm it's from the same batch so the taste is consistent.
Deciding After Sampling
| Sampling result | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Love it, want to drink it every day | Buy a cake to a tong, depending on how much you drink |
| Like it, but want to compare more | Try one or two more teas from the same region or price range |
| It's okay, can't quite say | No rush to buy; try a different style |
| Don't like it | Note why (too bitter, too weak, off-flavors) and avoid that next time |
For deciding how much to buy, read Cake, Tong, or Jian: How Much to Buy.
Sample Tasting Notes
Tea: Raw tea from a certain region (spring 2025)
Conditions: 110 ml gaiwan, 7 g, boiling water, 1 rinse
Early: Pronounced honey aroma, sweet on entry, slight bitterness dissolves quickly
Middle: Medium body, long-lasting huigan, shengjin at the cheeks
Late: Still sweet at the 9th infusion
Spent leaves: Yellow-green, soft
Conclusion: Like it; worth buying a cake
FAQ
Can I buy small portions to sample first? Yes. Common options are sample packs, split portions, dragon pearls, mini tuocha, and loose tea; every shop differs, so ask the shop directly.
How many infusions should I sample? At least 6–8, observing the early, middle, and late stages, and ideally trying again the next day.
Are split portions reliable? Splitting is common practice; check whether samples come from different parts of the cake, whether the source batch is clear, and whether the packaging is clean and sealed.
What should I watch for when sampling? Keep brewing conditions fixed, make sure your palate is clean, compare side by side with a tea you know, look at all five factors, and finally ask yourself whether you'd want to drink it again.