There's a popular saying about white Tea: “One-year tea, three-year storage, seven-year treasure.” Based on its aging period, white tea can be categorized into new and aged varieties: New white tea refers to the tea harvested and processed in the current year; aged white tea is the tea that has been stored for years and exhibits characteristics typical of aged tea.
However, distinguishing between new and aged white tea can be challenging for many tea enthusiasts. Today, we will compare the appearance and quality of one-year new tea, three-year-old tea, and seven-year-old tea to help you discern and appreciate the differences between new and aged white teas.
One-Year New Tea
Appearance
Naturally spread out, with plump and upright buds, even and mostly intact leaves with slight fragmentation;
The leaves display a natural gray-green or bluish-green color, with a fresh luster, creating a beautiful contrast between the bluish top and the silvery-white underside;
Abundant soft Silver-white down.
The aroma is delicate floral and downy.
Quality
The infusion of new tea is clear and bright, with a light apricot-yellow hue, and its taste is particularly fresh and sweet.
Three-Year Aged Tea
Appearance
The integrity of three-year-aged tea is slightly compromised;
It has just begun to exhibit the qualities of aged tea, with its color transforming from fresh gray-green to a darker shade of gray-green, with the green parts darkening to a deep green;
The silver-white down is still present but not as vibrant as in new tea, forming a natural matte finish.
The aroma transforms from a fresh floral scent to a Lotus leaf fragrance, with the downy aroma becoming more pronounced and lasting longer.
Quality
This white tea, having just entered the realm of aged tea, has undergone its first transformation in character. Its aroma is more pronounced, with the lotus fragrance becoming stronger and more direct when infused, and a hint of sweetness emerging after prolonged brewing;
The infusion of three-year-aged tea is a deeper yellow, slightly viscous, with a richer taste;
It has a certain body, with a slight bitterness that dissipates quickly, followed by a rapid return of sweetness and saliva production.
Seven-Year Aged Tea
Appearance
The degree of natural fragmentation is greater;
A naturally aged seven-year-old white tea displays a mottled appearance, with the bud parts turning silvery-gray and the leaf parts transitioning through shades of dark green, light brown, and dark brown;
The aroma of seven-year-old white tea has transformed into something truly captivating, evolving from a delicate floral and downy fragrance to a rich and concentrated mature fruit and flower scent.
Quality
The aged white tea has completed its true transformation from new to aged. Upon infusion, the downy aroma turns into a full-bodied Honey and jujube fragrance, with some likening it to the sweet aroma of chocolate, which then evolves into a reed-leaf fragrance and ultimately returns to the woody aroma of the tea plant;
The infusion has transformed into an amber color, with a thick, full-bodied, and smooth mouthfeel. A truly aged white tea not only offers a rich taste but also presents a rich array of changes in each infusion, embodying the true charm of aged white tea.
In the future, when purchasing white tea, you can differentiate them based on their appearance and quality. We sincerely hope that all tea enthusiasts can find teas that satisfy them!