If a Pu-erh liquor is overly strong, it does not necessarily mean the tea itself is 'too aggressive'. First check the weighed leaf, poured water volume, steeping time, and whether the compressed cake has opened up. Ripe Pu-erh, raw Pu-erh, and varying compression levels each call for different adjustments.
A bitter, over-extracted cup cannot be rescued, but for the next steep, you can shorten the pour time or reduce the leaf quantity. For compressed teas, gently pry apart a suitable portion of leaf and give it a brief rinse, then observe the changes during the proper infusion. Avoid altering water temperature, teaware, and leaf weight all at once; keep one cup brewed under the original conditions as a benchmark to identify which adjustment worked.
The 357 g weight on a Pu-erh cake refers to the whole cake specification; it does not mean that every brew should follow the whole cake's catalogue proportions. Jiang Rong Hao raw Pu-erh, ripe Pu-erh, and tea cakes each have dedicated product pages; if production year, storage, tree type, and batch information are not listed on the page, they should be requested from the brand rather than inferred from terms like 'ancient tree' or 'Banzhang'.
If the tea liquor exhibits a musty or mouldy odour, or if packaging is damp or storage conditions abnormal, stop drinking it and verify the product and storage history. Brewing adjustments cannot make up for food quality and batch issues.
If a Pu-erh cake has been exposed to damp or odorous environments over a prolonged period, stop brewing and document the packaging condition; 'airing' or resting the tea cannot replace a proper assessment of storage conditions.
Record the weight of leaf removed when breaking up the cake, so you have a solid basis for reducing the quantity in the next brew; estimating merely by piece size often leads to inconsistent results.