1. Kneading and Fermentation Forgery
Traditional white Tea production emphasizes “no stir-frying, no kneading.” However, to achieve this appearance, cunning counterfeiters introduce “new techniques,” including light kneading, increased fermentation, or controlling water content during the cake-pressing process to induce moderate fermentation, turning the Infusion red to mimic aged White Tea. Over years of storage, the internal components of aged white tea gradually change, resulting in a more reddish infusion, a thicker mouthfeel, and a smoother taste when brewed.
Flaw: Although the fake aged white teas with kneaded and fermented leaves can imitate the color of the infusion, they cannot replicate the medicinal and Lotus aromas that come from years of aging.
2. High-Temperature Drying Forgery
To make the fake aged white tea produce a reddish infusion quickly and impart sweetness, counterfeiters use “high-temperature drying.” However, the dried tea will encounter problems during subsequent storage and transformation. Traditional white tea emphasizes “natural withering,” and high-temperature drying leads to the loss of active substances.
Flaw: The aroma of high-temperature-dried fake aged white tea may feature a smoky scent and caramel notes. While not unpleasant, these aromas are not characteristic of authentic aged white tea.
3. Old Leaves on the Surface, New Leaves Inside
Counterfeiters might use mid-aged white tea with a shorter vintage for the core or apply fraudulent techniques to create “aged white tea,” but they wrap the exterior with genuine aged white tea. If you only examine the surface or smell the aroma, you might not be able to tell the difference.
Flaw: If the appearance of the dry leaves could potentially deceive you, inspecting the infused leaves often reveals the truth. In terms of infused leaves, fake aged white teas made by blending old and new leaves frequently exhibit unevenness, lacking the uniformity found in genuine aged white tea leaves.
4. Sequence of Infusion Color Changes
White tea produced decades ago was made without stir-frying or kneading, leaving the cell walls of the leaves intact. Typically, the color change of a true aged white tea's infusion is from light to dark, even if it is an older tea, as its water-soluble substances emerge slowly. Conversely, fake aged white teas made using modern techniques often have a dark-colored infusion in the first few steeps, which then becomes lighter with subsequent infusions due to artificial aging processes like kneading.
