Pu'er aged raw Tea has five distinctive features: purity, richness, agedness, thickness, aroma, and sweetness. Its taste is free from impurities or off-flavors, with a mellow and smooth mouthfeel that is more gentle. The bitterness and astringency are significantly reduced, leaving a dense and substantial mouthfeel with a viscous and full-bodied liquor. It exudes a rich and persistent aged fragrance, entering sweetly and smoothly with a full throat presence and noticeable aftertaste. After years of maturation, aged Pu'er tea develops a unique aged aroma and flavor profile that is both smooth, slippery, and mellow. Its aroma extends beyond mere olfactory pleasure, encompassing an aromatic experience for the body and mind, akin to the scent found in the realm of Zen tea. So, when purchasing Pu'er tea, how can we identify high-quality aged Pu'er tea?
How to Distinguish Aged Pu'er Tea?
First, smell the Pu'er tea: Old Pu'er tea, after a long period of aging, develops a natural aged aroma without any other impurities or off-flavors. The older the Pu'er tea, the less likely it is to have any strange or impure flavors.
Second, observe the dry appearance of the Pu'er tea: Older teas have been stored for a longer time. Ripe teas have turned into a reddish-brown color with a lustrous appearance, while raw teas no longer exhibit yellow-green or greenish hues but have instead transformed into shades of yellowish-red or reddish-brown with uniform coloration. When you touch old teas with your fingers, they feel slightly puffed due to oxidation and Fermentation. Their color is natural, and they carry a scent of age. Teas over thirty years old were often handpicked rather than cut with scissors; those over fifty years old are all handpicked and appear as long strands because at the time, the tea was not kneaded during processing.
Third, brew and inspect the tea: With very old teas, the leaves do not fully unfurl after brewing, and some may even show signs of woodiness. If the tea appears dark and shiny, it is usually a “new old tea” that has been charcoal-roasted and is not truly aged. Oolong teas stored for around thirty years will produce a pale amber-colored liquor; those stored for over forty years will have a deeper color, which may vary depending on storage conditions or if they were originally heavily oxidized. The liquor of old teas is red, bright, and clear, neither black nor turbid. Even after thirty, fifty, or one hundred years of storage, the liquor remains clear and bright. In contrast, artificially aged teas will produce a murky liquor.
Fourth, taste the tea: It should be rich, thick, and sweet, with a slight sourness. True old teas are not charcoal-roasted, as drinking charcoal-roasted teas can cause heatiness. Therefore, aged Pu'er teas should not have a charred flavor. Old teas, due to their long-term natural fermentation, have a smooth and natural mouthfeel, with a sweet and non-irritating taste, being warm and enduring in flavor. The aroma of old teas is harmonious, with a lingering finish that is not overly intense. New teas often lack purity in taste or have not fully aged, resulting in a “fresh” flavor. If there are impurities, off-flavors, or harsh aromas upon tasting, it indicates a poor quality or new tea.
Fifth, examine the infused leaves: Old tea leaves have elasticity and luster. Under good storage conditions, teas aged between 2 and 5 years are considered aged teas, those aged between 5 and 10 years are considered old teas, and those aged over ten years are considered aged old teas. Here are some points to help identify them. When an old tea is newly opened, if the liquor turns sour, this is due to the transformation caused by the interaction between the tea's activity and the air. After a few weeks, it will return to its original fragrant and mellow taste, indicating a true aged “living old tea.”
The methods mentioned above can only serve as references and cannot cover all situations. To accurately judge the age of a tea, one needs to have knowledge of the history of different tea factories during different periods, as well as product knowledge. Most importantly, it requires developing a keen palate through long-term tasting.