Space Cowboy wrote:
> I'd be more concerned about the obesity epidemic. Okay somebody
> explain the camphor taste without making me smell ointment. I know
> that sickening sweet smell to mask putrification. I have my share of
> recent greens which are very aromatic and what I would describe in some
> as minty or soothing to the throat in particular a wild tree puerh log.
> I have some that don't taste this way at all. On TaoBao you get the
> impression it is present from day one in some but here it magically
> appears when you buy from some recommended website selling aged puerh.
> I get the impression it might be a scent introduced in processing like
> Jasmine.

Camphor in authentic aged puerh is not introduced, it develops
naturally over time on some but not all puerh. The aged puerhs
considered to be the best are often said to have this taste, many
people selling aged puerh claim this because it is a sign of good
puerh. The aroma is very similar to the smell of camphor trees and has
a somewhat minty taste. However, it is a common trick to store puerh
with or in camphor wood to induce this aroma. The way to tell the
difference is in the taste of the later steeps. If the camphor
developed naturally it will remain through a great many steeps, if it
was induced artificially through absorption the camphor flavor will
only last a few steeps and then be gone. Everybody and their brother
who sells aged tea likes to claim camphor, only a fraction truly
exhibit this quality.

Mike