Pu'er Spring Tea, summer Tea, and Autumn Tea are products of different seasons. Spring tea is known for its high aroma, rich flavor, and durability; summer tea has a mild taste but shows significant transformation; autumn tea exhibits a soft sweetness.

Spring Tea: Harvested in March to April, the tea has rich internal qualities, is plump, and boasts a high aroma. Its taste is full-bodied, smooth, and delicate, with excellent durability.

Summer Tea: Collected from May to July, this tea has a darker color and long, thin stems. Its fragrance is pure, and the taste is strong and bitter, with a monotonous mouthfeel.

Autumn Tea: Picked in September to October, the tea has a yellow-green color, coarse leaves, and a mild, peaceful taste that is sweet and fragrant.

Differences and Comparisons Between Pu'er Spring Tea and Summer & Autumn Teas

1. Pu'er Spring Tea

Spring tea is usually harvested from March to April, with the exact picking time determined by the climate and sprouting conditions of the year.

Spring tea can be divided into “early spring,” “mid-spring,” and “late spring.” It is typically made from the first buds and leaves after winter dormancy.

Due to environmental factors such as light in the spring, tea tree growth is slower than in other seasons, allowing nutrients from the roots to gradually reach the shoots, enriching the tea's internal qualities.

As a result, dry tea from the same mountain peak has tightly bound, heavy, and plump leaves with a lustrous appearance and visible downy hairs.

The aroma is rich, long-lasting, and high. The tea soup is clear and bright, with a full-bodied, smooth, and delicate taste, ample character, and a lingering aftertaste. It also has a rich layering and high durability; the leaves at the bottom are tender, green, soft, and resilient.

2. Pu'er Summer Tea

Also known as “second flush tea” or “coarse tea,” summer tea is usually harvested from May to July.

Summer is a season of rapid growth, with increased rainfall and rising temperatures in tea-growing areas, leading to fast growth of new shoots and an abundance of old leaves. This is why there is a saying: “Tea becomes coarse overnight after the start of summer.”

Dry summer tea has a darker, gray-green color, long, thin stems, thin leaves, and a coarse texture.

The tea soup from summer tea generally lacks the rich and high aroma of spring tea. It is not as fresh and brisk on the palate and tastes stronger and more bitter. The water taste is more noticeable, the mouthfeel is relatively monotonous, and the durability is lower.

3. Pu'er Autumn Tea

Called “grain Flower tea” or “white dew tea,” autumn tea is usually harvested in September to October.

The climate in autumn is between that of spring and summer. After the spring and summer harvests, the tea trees have depleted some of their internal nutrients.

After the spring and summer harvests, the tea trees have fewer nutrients, and the tea grows slowly, with the shoots spreading out into leaves. The color of autumn tea tends to be yellowish.

Dry autumn tea has a yellow-green color and coarse leaves. Its taste is mild and peaceful, with a high fragrance, offering a unique flavor experience.

The fullness is slightly weaker, and the tea soup quality is less. The bitterness and astringency are much milder compared to summer tea, showing a soft sweetness. Durability is lower.

The leaves at the bottom are yellowish, with long, hard stems, thin leaves, and harder veins.

Therefore, as the ancient saying goes, “Spring tea is bitter, summer tea is astringent, for good taste, drink autumn white dew (referring to autumn tea).”