Are old Tea heads good? Pu'er old tea heads are certainly very good. Those who understand Pu'er generally know that many tea heads are the finest in Pu'er. This is because during the piling process of Pu'er, the leaves that can form into blocks must be rich in gum and Sugar, and the tenderest and strongest parts of the tea leaves contain the most sugar and gum.

During the artificial watering and piling fermentation process of ripe Pu'er tea, due to the proliferation of microorganisms, the temperature in the middle of the tea pile gradually increases. The tea undergoes fermentation through its own enzymes, slowly transforming into ripe tea.

In this process, the tea pile needs to be manually turned inside out every now and then to prevent the tea from being scorched by the high temperatures in the center. During the fermentation, after repeated turning, the sticky Pectin secreted during the kneading of the tea leaves causes some of the leaves that were not thoroughly turned to stick together in lumps. These tea lumps have even more microorganisms participating in the fermentation.

Once the tea has finished fermenting, these clumps of unappealing tea are picked out and either manually or mechanically separated before being returned to the tea pile. However, some are so firmly stuck together that separating them would result in breaking the tea leaves, so they are placed aside as “old Pu'er tea heads.”

The key point is that when a heap of ripe tea weighs 20 tons, there are only 100-300 kilograms of tea heads. And this is why old tea heads are so expensive.

Selecting and brewing Old Tea Heads

Select those that are relatively loose; those tightly bound like stones are best avoided. The tea should have distinct strands, a clean surface, a pure aroma, a mellow taste, a clear infusion color, and normal flavor. Tea heads are not trash; if stored well and of good quality, they are excellent. If manually broken apart, it's not impossible, but the loss would be significant, with too much powder produced.

For aged, clean tea heads, a quick rinse is enough. For newer tea heads, a heavy rinse for about 20 seconds, or two rinses of 10 seconds each, is recommended. Some aged tea heads may not break apart even after multiple infusions, but their strands should still be clearly visible, making the degree of fermentation obvious. If the leaf base appears red mud-like in color or the infusion is extremely murky, it is best not to drink it! After brewing, observe whether the infusion is bright and clear and whether there are any off-flavors or odd odors.