New ripe Pu'er tea, taking Menghai fermentation as an example, often carries some stack flavors and miscellaneous odors. After all, it spends several dozen days in the heap. However, after two years of storage, a new ripe Pu'er tea has largely lost its stack flavor, replaced instead by a hint of aged aroma (note that this is not the scent of agarwood). This aged aroma can be discerned from the adhesion on the cup. During the early stage of the tea, this fragrance is accompanied by a watery taste, making it indistinct.
The thickness of good ripe tea is evident right from the start, but during its initial stages, it is still affected by the water vapor, making the texture less concentrated and somewhat bland. After about two years, the thickness is fully released, making it viscous and heavy on the tongue.
The Depth of Quality in Ripe Pu'er Tea
The sweetness in new ripe Pu'er tea isn't very direct; in other words, there's a straightforward sweetness, but the lingering sensation after swallowing isn't prominent. If a ripe tea two or three years old doesn't develop any sweetness, it means its potential for improvement is limited. Observing changes at different stages from when the tea is new can undoubtedly improve one's ability to assess tea.
What Determines the Transformation Potential of Ripe Pu'er Tea?
To determine whether a tea has potential for transformation later on, the quality of the raw material is paramount, followed by the requirement for strict fermentation processes. What does “strict” mean? It means scientific procedures and meticulous control over temperature and Humidity.
Choosing the Location
Most traditional tea companies still adhere to a scientific approach to nurturing the ground where their fermentation rooms are located. They sprinkle about 1 centimeter of tea fragments and dust on the concrete floor and keep it moist with water for several days until the tea scent permeates the ground, creating a qualified “ripe Soil.” This ensures that the Fermented tea leaves do not carry any off-flavors. However, some emerging companies choose to use special perforated stainless steel plates with breathable layers as their fermentation platform. In short, a clean and odorless fermentation environment is the first step to success.
The Piling Stage
Whether it's a small pile weighing dozens of kilograms or a large pile weighing over ten tons, we must follow the principles of uniformity and ease of turning. The surface of the pile should be flat, the pile itself should be loose, and the thickness should not exceed seventy centimeters.
Temperature and Humidity Control
Fermentation requires a warm and humid environment, with heat generated primarily by microbial respiration and metabolism, initially relying on harmless black Aspergillus species. Water is added to the pile at intervals, which is a task requiring experience. Generally, younger teas receive less water, while older teas receive more. After watering, the pile is covered with a fermentation cloth to raise its temperature, and it is turned periodically to cool it down and allow air circulation, preventing overheating and ensuring the pile is not too tight or dense, which would hinder subsequent tea maturation.
Drying, Nurturing, and Selection
Once fermentation reaches a certain point, trenches are dug to increase the contact area between the tea leaves and the air, allowing them to cool and dry naturally without the need for artificial drying. The tea is then allowed to mature slowly, developing a milder character. Different grades of tea are then selected using machines and hand sorting to produce different grades of ripe cakes.
Just like winemaking, when a series of operations are carried out scientifically and systematically, we obtain a standard ripe Pu'er tea. Such a tea still has enormous potential for further transformation, as its fermentation level is approximately 70% complete. At this stage, the aroma has a sugary sweetness and a faint smoky scent. However, this may not yet be its finest moment, as newly fermented ripe tea tends to have a slightly acidic broth, lacking harmony in taste, and may still carry a strong warehouse flavor with a murky appearance. After storage, ripe Pu'er tea undergoes further refinement, revealing its true aromatic richness. The theaflavins in the tea are further oxidized into theabrownins, resulting in a deeper, redder, and more beautiful infusion, evoking warmth and comfort. At this point, you will surely marvel, “This is the pinnacle of ripe tea's true quality.”