A fine Pu'er Tea requires a century to grow into an ancient tree, one month to process the leaves, and several years of aging to reach its prime. This is a long process that must pass through four golden stages: Raw Material, Processing, Storage, and brewing. Regardless of the type of tea, when purchasing, one always starts from factors such as appearance, aroma, liquor color, taste, and leaf residue; Pu'er tea is no exception. Pu'er tea has the unique quality of becoming more fragrant with age, and because it can be stored for a long time, there are differences between new and aged Pu'er in terms of appearance, aroma, liquor color, taste, leaf residue, and changes over time.

The Four-Word Mantra for Appreciating Pu'er Tea: Raw Material, Processing, Storage, Brewing

1. Raw Material

This refers to the raw material. Pu'er tea has always emphasized authentic provenance, superior variety, and excellent ecological environment; such ancient tree materials form the foundation for the high-quality attributes of a Pu'er tea. It takes over a hundred years for a tea tree to become an ancient tree, nurtured by nature without human intervention, making each infusion rare and precious.

2. Processing

This refers to the production process. Yunnan Pu'er tea has its unique production methods, which give the tea the ability to undergo “post-fermentation.” This process demands exceptional skill from the tea maker to ensure consistent quality in the finished product. Masterful processing is another important condition for the high-quality attributes of Pu'er tea.

3. Storage

This refers to storage. As is well-known, Pu'er tea has the characteristic of becoming more fragrant with age. The aging process of Pu'er tea is academically referred to as “post-fermentation.” During this period, polyphenols in the tea are oxidized, making the liquor taste smoother and richer, and the aged character emerges.

Good storage conditions can promote the positive transformation of Pu'er tea. It can be said that for Pu'er teas made from the same batch of raw materials and processed at the same time, the critical factor that determines their quality is “storage.”

Pu'er tea storage is very particular, requiring not only a long time but also many uncontrollable factors. This is a long wait, requiring patience and meticulous care for the tea.

4. Brewing

This refers to brewing. After passing through the three golden stages mentioned above, this step is the moment to test the quality of Pu'er tea and to release the accumulated flavors over time. At this point, the most beautiful side of Pu'er tea is fully revealed.

Of course, for a tea to be enjoyable, proper brewing techniques are required. Many people complain that the tea they bought at a high price tastes ordinary when brewed by themselves, and even good tea is just so-so. In fact, without certain brewing skills, the tea's flavor can be wasted, limiting its full expression.

Old tea enthusiasts often say, “Ten years without opening the warehouse, ten years without becoming tea,” and advocate “drinking ripe tea, storing raw tea, tasting old tea.” “Storage” requires time, and it's not simply about setting it aside for a while. There are three essential points to consider in Pu'er tea storage:

① Temperature: The temperature should not be too high, below 32°C, and should not fluctuate too much, otherwise, it will affect the activity of enzymes within the tea.

② Humidity: Southern regions tend to be humid, while northern regions are dry. It's necessary to accurately control the humidity in the air to below 75% according to different climates in different regions during specific periods, which is not an easy task. If the humidity is not controlled properly, it may lead to the growth of harmful microorganisms and deterioration of the tea's quality.

③ Air Quality: Tea has strong adsorption properties, so not only temperature and humidity need to be strictly controlled, but there should also be no odor or other smells.

Pu'er tea, a masterpiece of time and human effort, these four simple words encapsulate the life story of Pu'er tea, leaving behind the essence of the finest flavors.

The Four Essential Criteria for Evaluating the Quality of Pu'er Tea

1. Appearance

New Pu'er tea typically appears green in color with white downy hairs and a robust aroma. Old Pu'er tea, after prolonged post-fermentation, has a date-like red appearance, and the white downy hairs turn yellowish-brown.

2. Aroma

The aged aroma of Pu'er tea is produced during post-fermentation when various chemical components transform under the action of microorganisms and enzymes, resulting in a complex aroma. High-quality Yunnan Pu'er dry tea reveals a clear aged aroma, sometimes resembling Osmanthus, jujube, or betel nut, without any foreign or odd odors. Poor-quality Pu'er tea may have a slight aged aroma or only an aged scent, and some may even carry sour or other odd odors. The aged aroma is significantly different from moldy smells. Poorly stored Pu'er tea often produces moldy odors, and some merchants might add flowers like chrysanthemums to mask these odors. Therefore, if you see Pu'er tea mixed with chrysanthemums or detect non-tea floral scents, moldy, sour, or other odd odors, it indicates impure tea quality.

3. Liquor Color

Due to prolonged continuous post-fermentation, aged Pu'er tea has a bright, red and concentrated liquor color, which is deep but never pitch black. New Pu'er tea has a lighter liquor color, which can only serve as a reference since some newly made Pu'er teas may also have a dark liquor color. Poor-quality Pu'er tea has a dull, dark brown color, lacking brightness and clarity, and some even appear black or dark, commonly referred to as “soy sauce broth.”

4. Taste

Pu'er tea has distinct characteristics compared to other types of tea, primarily perceived through smoothness, aftertaste, and throat comfort. High-quality Pu'er tea has a rich, smooth, soothing, and sweet aftertaste, with a refreshing sensation at the root of the tongue. Conversely, poor-quality Pu'er tea has a bland taste, lacks smoothness and aftertaste, and may cause discomfort on the sides of the tongue, or even a “numbing and astringent” sensation.

5. Leaf Residue

Another method to identify Pu'er tea is to examine the integrity and softness of the leaves after Steeping. If the leaves are intact and relatively soft, it can be judged as high-quality Pu'er tea. Ripe tea leaves are red-brown in color, very soft, and can be molded into a mud-like consistency. Low-quality Pu'er tea leaves feel hard, like coarse fibers.