Dry-Warehouse Pu'er Tea refers to Pu'er tea stored in a dry, ventilated warehouse environment with low humidity. “Dry” in “dry warehouse” means dry storage, which is not a manufacturing process of Pu'er tea but rather a method or environment for its preservation later on.
How to Identify Dry-Warehouse Pu'er Tea
1. Appearance: Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea has compact and firm tea leaves, fresh and lustrous color, and a shiny surface, fully demonstrating the vitality of the tea.
2. Aroma: Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea has an aged tea aroma.
3. Infusion Color: The infusion color of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea is chestnut to dark chestnut, and the tea still retains bitterness and astringency. The infusion is clear and bright.
4. Leaf Base: The leaf base of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea is chestnut yellow to deep fruit color, with active softness and elasticity.
5. Cake Body: The edge of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea cakes is looser due to moisture, but it also becomes harder towards the center due to moisture and pressure.
Characteristics of Dry-Warehouse Pu'er Tea
Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea refers to tea stored in a clean, well-ventilated, and dry warehouse (generally with air humidity less than 70%) where the tea naturally ferments. It is best aged for 10-20 years.
Dry-warehouse Raw Pu'er: The tea leaves are tightly bound, fresh and lustrous, glossy and have a natural tea aroma. The infusion color is Orange-red, transforming into dark chestnut for longer-aged teas. The leaves are whole and elastic, with uniform color.
Dry-warehouse Ripened Pu'er: The appearance is uniform and glossy, with a natural ripe tea aroma. The infusion color is bright red like glassy red. The taste is aged, mellow, and sweet, without any moldy or off flavors.
When drinking Pu'er tea, if one's perspective is based purely on personal preference and whether the tea tastes good, there's no need to differentiate between raw and ripe tea, or dry and humid warehouse. As long as it suits your taste and feels comfortable after drinking, it's a good tea for you.
Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea has a clean and vibrant appearance, a strong and concentrated aged aroma, a bright red infusion, and a rich flavor. There is a strong sensation of dry heat in the throat and nasal cavity. Particularly in terms of aroma, dry-warehouse Pu'er tea surpasses humid-warehouse Pu'er tea.