What is wet warehouse Tea? The term “wet warehouse” refers to a damp storage environment. By artificially altering the humidity and temperature of the storage conditions, the tea is subjected to rapid transformation in a high-temperature, high-humidity, and non-ventilated environment.
What is Wet Warehouse Tea?
Theoretically speaking, a “wet warehouse” refers to an environment where the air temperature and humidity are above 80%, not well-ventilated, and conducive to the growth of microorganisms. Storing Pu'er tea in such a wet warehouse for post-fermentation is called “wet warehouse post-fermentation,” and this type of Pu'er tea is known as wet warehouse Pu'er tea.
The wet warehouse post-fermentation process involves enzymatic oxidation and fermentation with the participation of microorganisms, which can promote the rapid aging of Pu'er tea. The microbial catalytic oxidation occurs when microorganisms parasitize on the tea leaves, causing strong destruction of the tea fibers. This damages the tea's structure and leaves behind residues from mold, significantly altering the inherent nature of the tea. Therefore, wet warehouse post-fermentation is often referred to as moldy aged Pu'er tea.
From the perspective of tasting wet warehouse tea, its liquor appears dark and murky red, sometimes very deep in color. The infused leaves are soft and easily disintegrate like mud. It has a musty or off-flavor, feels scratchy or sticks in the throat, and the aroma is low and the tea fragrance weak, sometimes even absent. The infused leaves lack elasticity and may show signs of decay. In comparison, when tasting dry warehouse tea stored in Kunming, Yunnan, it generally has a fresher taste, pure aroma, and richer flavor.
From a food safety standpoint, long-term consumption of moldy wet warehouse Pu'er tea may be harmful rather than beneficial to health. As some tea enthusiasts say, “After drinking wet warehouse tea, you don't feel good all over.” However, in the world of Pu'er tea, there are unscrupulous merchants who use these methods to imitate aged tea for profit.
Characteristics of Wet Warehouse Tea
First, there will typically be so-called “white frost,” and in severe cases, yellow spots, green mold, or black fuzz may appear. For teas stored under less extreme conditions, the surface may still have an oily sheen.
Second, the tea leaves lose their clarity and luster.
Third, the center of the tea cake becomes hard while the edges crumble.
Fourth, upon initial sniffing of the tea cake, there is a noticeable musty Odor that irritates the nose.
Fifth, there are signs of insect bites and traces of white, thread-like sticky residue.
Sixth, the outer packaging paper and inner flyleaf may have tea stains.
Seventh, the liquor is darker and tends towards black, lacking clarity.
Eighth, the taste is dull and lacks freshness, with off-flavors.
Ninth, the infused leaves are uneven in color and lack texture, and they may appear black and carbonized.