Dry-Warehouse Pu'er refers to Pu'er tea stored in a dry, ventilated environment with low Humidity. Generally, dry-warehouse tea ferments and ages under conditions of moderate temperature and humidity, good ventilation, and a clean, Odor-free environment. This natural aging process preserves the true nature of Pu'er tea and enhances its value for connoisseurship.
The characteristics of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea
Smell the tea leaves by lifting the tea cake. Good storage conditions produce Pu'er tea with an excellent aged aroma. If there are other miscellaneous odors, it indicates that the tea has absorbed other scents during storage. If you detect a watery smell, the tea must have been stored in a humid environment. If you notice a pungent odor, the tea has likely molded; aged tea should not have a pungent smell as it becomes milder over time.
Brew a portion of the tea to taste. The liquor from dry-warehouse Pu'er tea is clear and bright, not murky, with a slight initial bitterness or astringency that quickly dissipates. If the liquor is murky, it is definitely not high-quality tea.
Inspect the infused tea leaves. Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea leaves have a yellow or deep fruit color, are relatively intact, soft, and strong with good elasticity. Wet-warehouse stored tea leaves lack this resilience and are often broken.
From these points, one can generally determine the storage conditions of the tea. If this information is useful, please save and share it. While the rarity of aged teas is understandable, if you do not have much experience with Pu'er tea, it is best to start with newer teas. With more tea tasting, you will naturally develop the ability to discern quality.