The storage time for Sheng Pu'er and Shou Pu'er depends on the quality of the Tea, the quality of the raw materials, and whether the storage environment can be maintained within an appropriate range. Generally speaking, Sheng Pu'er has a longer storage time than Shou Pu'er. Sheng Pu'er can be stored for 10 to 20 years or even longer, as it is a type of tea without a clear Expiration date, suitable for long-term storage. The aroma and taste of the tea become richer and more appealing over time, and its nature becomes milder.
The Shelf life of Shou Pu'er is typically 8 to 15 years. Shou Pu'er has a more stable nature, and when properly stored, the tea's taste becomes steady and mellow. However, due to the special production method of Shou Pu'er, which involves artificial acceleration of Fermentation, the tea continues to ferment after production, making its taste increasingly steady. Thus, the storage time for Shou Pu'er is not as long as that of Sheng Pu'er.
Both Sheng and Shou Pu'er Have Value for Long-Term Storage
Although Shou Pu'er has already undergone the fermentation and transformation process, it is essentially an “accelerated early-born” tea, resembling but not quite matching the unique character of aged Sheng Pu'er. New Shou Pu'er often has an unpleasant “wet-pile” flavor.
After several months to a few years of storage, the wet-pile flavor gradually diminishes or disappears, and the tea's nature and aroma become more stable. The astringency decreases, and the mouthfeel becomes more mellow, smooth, and viscous over time. Well-stored aged Shou Pu'er offers a vastly different experience in mouthfeel and aroma compared to new Shou Pu'er.
The question of how many years Shou Pu'er should be stored for optimal results is subjective, but some experts who have studied Pu'er tea for many years suggest 5 to 8 years, with a maximum of 10 years. However, some seasoned tea enthusiasts claim that properly stored Shou Pu'er over 15 years old can achieve an even better taste, though this may vary depending on the specific tea.
Regarding Sheng Pu'er, the post-storage transformation process (also known as warehousing technology) is a crucial step in the formation of the tea's quality and is considered an essential part of the production process of Sheng Pu'er. “The factory release is only half-finished,” and the second half of the process begins when the tea reaches the consumer's hands.
Therefore, good Sheng Pu'er is often described as “good raw material + good processing + good warehousing,” which is also the theoretical basis for Pu'er tea's characteristic of “getting better with age.”
However, even for Sheng Pu'er, the storage time is not necessarily “the longer, the better.” I've previously written about the concept of the “optimal tasting period” for tea. While the “optimal tasting period” for Pu'er tea is much longer compared to other tea types, it is not infinite. Any substance containing “active components” cannot maintain its activity indefinitely and has its own lifecycle, whether it's sun-dried and compressed tea leaves or microorganisms involved in post-fermentation.
As for when the tea enters its optimal tasting period, there are various opinions, which naturally depend on the quality of the raw materials, the characteristics of the processing techniques, and the warehousing philosophy and control of the small environment by the tea owner. Most believe it falls within 15 to 30 years, while some tea enthusiasts think it could be 30 to 50 years, but these are merely references.
Moreover, the longer the tea is stored, the higher the requirements for warehousing conditions and the greater the risks, especially for teas that have changed hands multiple times. It is particularly important to pay attention to the scientific nature of earlier warehousing conditions. Often, the status of this earlier warehousing is untraceable, unless the tea was placed in your private tea storage immediately upon release from the factory and has been stored for decades.