For new enthusiasts of Pu'er Tea, when choosing a type of Pu'er tea, they may be more inclined to follow others' advice. However, even if they don't know much, they should still have their own opinions, especially after personally tasting the tea.
Similarly, what kind of tea should one store in the early stages of Drinking Tea? For new enthusiasts, the primary consideration is the potential taste value of the tea after aging. Judging the tea based on personal tasting experience is crucial. Generally speaking, the teas stored by new enthusiasts are meant for consumption within a short period and won't be stored for too long. Therefore, the most important consideration is whether the tea is suitable for drinking now. If it doesn't suit your palate, there's no need to store it; it might just end up at the bottom of your storage box. Thus, the first criterion for storing tea for new enthusiasts should be: do you like it, and does it feel comfortable to drink?
In addition to personal tasting experiences, it is also recommended to purchase smaller-sized tea products. I've often seen experienced tea drinkers recall the various “tuition teas” they stored when they first got into Pu'er tea, with a significant amount invested, but these teas were ultimately not consumed. Based on this, in the early stages of drinking tea, if you have a choice, opt for smaller-sized tea products, such as dragon pearls or 200-gram mini cakes. This can reduce your losses to a certain extent, and you should also try to limit the quantity.
Additionally, reliable advice from trustworthy friends is essential. If you have a few friends who are relatively knowledgeable about Pu'er tea and understand your drinking needs, listening to their suggestions is necessary, but the prerequisite is that these friends must be reliable. As for recommendations from experts or masters, they're not worth considering. They cater to those who invest in storing tea, and as a new enthusiast, it's better to avoid getting involved in such murky waters. The water is too deep, and it's easy to get taken advantage of.
Lastly, price is another practical issue to consider when deciding what tea to store. For new enthusiasts of Pu'er tea, I believe there's no need to immediately follow the trend of drinking so-called ancient tree teas, single-tree teas, or famous Village teas that cost thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan. Instead, trying some mid-range products with relatively higher cost-effectiveness is advisable. This isn't to say anything about the high-priced teas or anything else; mainly, new enthusiasts may not have a good grasp of these high-priced teas and could easily be misled, so it's better to be cautious.
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Introducing Pu'er Tea: How to Store Pu'er Tea