To discern the quality of Tea, beginners or those without extensive experience will find it challenging without months or years of practice. The assessment of Pu'er tea's quality primarily relies on four criteria: tenderness, color, uniformity, and expansion. When the tea leaves at the bottom of a Cup of steeped Pu'er are soft and resilient to the touch, they indicate good tenderness. Hard leaves that do not relax when released suggest older leaves and lower quality. High-quality Pu'er tea leaves will lay flat after being steeped in boiling water. In contrast, low-quality Pu'er tea leaves can only partially unfold, appearing wrinkled and uneven. Good Pu'er tea has a vibrant leaf base and a rich, clear broth.

How to Distinguish the Authenticity and Quality of Pu'er Tea
1. Sweetness
The sweetness mentioned here refers directly to the taste experienced upon entry into the mouth and should not be confused with the aftertaste. It is a refined, clear sweetness often overshadowed by the aftertaste. With time, seasoned drinkers can separate different flavors, allowing them to appreciate this sweetness. Newcomers may struggle to distinguish it. While sweetness can help identify the quality, it is not decisive.
2. Broth
The broth is crucial for assessing the richness of the tea's essence. To judge the viscosity of the broth, do not sip it; instead, take a larger mouthful, swirl it around your mouth before swallowing. This allows you to feel the broth's thickness, fullness, and smoothness.

3. Aftertaste and Salivation
Aftertaste and salivation are basic flavors of tea. For example, plantation tea exhibits rapid but short-lived aftertaste and salivation, typically diminishing after six infusions. In contrast, these flavors in ancient tree teas are stable, quick, and long-lasting.
4. Bitterness and Astringency
Bitterness and astringency are key indicators of tea quality. These are inherent characteristics of all teas, but excessive bitterness and astringency can indicate two possible reasons: young trees with limited nutrient absorption leading to weaker flavors or fertilized trees, particularly with urea, which quickly alters soil structure and increases bitterness and astringency.

5. Throat Comfort
Throat comfort is another critical factor in assessing tea quality. It refers to the cool and comfortable sensation formed in the throat. This sensation makes breathing smoother and more refreshing. It also leads to a lingering aftertaste and salivation in the throat. When you breathe, this flavor seems to enter your mouth, creating an illusion that the throat itself tastes sweet and fragrant.
6. Endurance
During tasting, if any flavor weakens in any infusion, it indicates the tea's endurance limit. Plantation tea typically begins to weaken after six infusions, while ancient tree teas can maintain their flavors through eight to ten infusions, with some lasting up to twelve infusions or more. Endurance determines the tea's stability, with higher endurance indicating greater stability.

7. Stability
The endurance test reveals the tea's stability. Higher stability indicates richer internal qualities. During storage, such teas can steadily develop desirable aging characteristics. Many consumers believe that cheap, stimulating new teas become better after several years of aging. However, without intrinsic qualities, there would be no substance to undergo maturation.
By considering these aspects, one can assess the authenticity of Pu'er tea. In summary, when evaluating a tea's quality, it is essential to thoroughly understand its characteristics. Only then can one make informed choices when purchasing high-quality tea.