Aged Tea refers to tea that has been processed from leaves harvested in the previous year or even earlier. Even if stored properly and well-preserved, it is collectively known as aged tea. New tea, by convention, refers to tea made from fresh leaves picked around the Qingming Festival in the same year.
What is the difference between new tea and aged tea?
1. Different moisture content
New tea generally has a lower moisture content, so the tea leaves are tightly rolled, feel dry to the touch, hard and brittle, and can be easily ground into powder with your fingers. Aged tea, due to long-term storage, has higher moisture content, making the tea wet and heavy. It cannot be crushed into powder with your fingers, and the tea stems are not easy to break.
2. Different colors
New tea has a lustrous and vibrant color, clearly green, appearing in shades of light green or dark green. When brewed, the tea has a bright green color that gradually turns slightly yellow, with clear broth and glossy leaves. Aged tea loses its freshness in color and appears dull and less lustrous due to the oxidation of unsaturated components and the slow automatic decomposition of pigments that constitute the tea's color through photosynthesis.
3. Different aromas
New tea usually has a tea fragrance, with good new teas having particularly noticeable aromas, whether they are fresh, strong, or sweet, with high and fragrant scents. Aged tea has a low, dull aroma; the aromatic substances have volatilized, and the lipid components undergo hydrolysis and oxidation, resulting in a mild, low aroma and an unpleasant aged flavor.
4. Different flavors
The broth of new tea is clear and bright green, bright and transparent, with a rich and fresh taste, leaving a sweet aftertaste that lingers endlessly, giving a pure and refreshing sensation on the tongue and a feeling of mental clarity. In contrast, the broth of aged tea, due to the increase in tea brown pigment during storage, appears dark green or dark brown, dull and murky. The taste is bland and unrefreshing because the ester substances in the tea, after oxidation, reduce the Water-soluble effective components.
New tea and aged tea do not have a simple good or bad distinction; it depends on the type of tea. For some teas, aged tea is better than new tea. For example, Wuyi rock tea from the previous year often has a richer fragrance and more mellow taste. There are also compressed teas like Fu brick tea, Liubao tea, and Seven Sons cakes that do not deteriorate over long-term storage but instead enhance the tea's quality. On the other hand, Green Tea and Oolong Tea are typically better when fresh. After a year, some of the chemical reactions within the tea alter the taste significantly.