I’d say older than 3yrs. And sheng as opposed to Shu (ripe). The former is pressed and left to age, and the latter is cooked, speeding up the fermentation process, thus mimicking aging.
The two have completely different characteristics and taste differently. I’d say Shu is more forgiving in terms of steeping, but on the other hand is a lot heavier in taste, with more umami (fishy flavor)
I’d say age and smell. If it smells too fishy it’s shit. When it comes to sheng (raw) pu-ehrs aim for older ones. Young shengs tend to be very bitter.
Older like 5 years or older like 100 years?
Sheng (raw) as opposed to…?
I’d say older than 3yrs. And sheng as opposed to Shu (ripe). The former is pressed and left to age, and the latter is cooked, speeding up the fermentation process, thus mimicking aging.
The two have completely different characteristics and taste differently. I’d say Shu is more forgiving in terms of steeping, but on the other hand is a lot heavier in taste, with more umami (fishy flavor)