In our previous episode, we discussed how to identify so-called aged teas made by blending sheng and shou pu'er. Today, we continue with tips on discerning whether a Tea's base is blended or over-wilted, or if it had red leaves and stems during production.

For blends of sheng and shou, the dark brown portion of the leaves will not change color much no matter how you Brew them, or in some cases, not at all.

Teas that have been over-wilted will show signs of returning to green when first brewed, making the leaves appear somewhat green. However, after five infusions, this greenness will fade and the leaves will resemble others in appearance, although some older leaves may remain slightly green. This is normal.

The parts of the tea that originally had red leaves and stems will become lighter in color with repeated brewing, trending toward a more typical hue but still appearing redder than usual.

A third method of fakery involves lightly fermenting sheng pu'er using the shou process, typically stopping fermentation at around 30% maturity before pressing into cakes. This method is quite popular today and makes for the most difficult-to-distinguish fake aged teas, as their infusion color and leaf appearance closely mimic those of dry-stored aged teas.

These teas exhibit a certain aged aroma but also retain the tea's natural fragrance. The infusion color is golden-red, and the leaf consistency is good. From a sensory perspective, there are no glaring inconsistencies. However, man-made products differ from naturally aged ones, and they cannot be identical. These faked aged teas lack the depth and richness of aroma found in naturally aged teas; their scent is lighter and less grounded, lacking the weight and throat presence of genuine aged teas. They also lack the smoothness of naturally aged teas, with a texture that is less silky and refined. This might be abstract and hard to understand, but I hope to offer a side-by-side comparison someday, which would make things clearer.

The fourth method of fakery involves pre-fermentation techniques similar to Black Tea production. Specifically, the leaves are withered, then piled for a short fermentation, turning them a slightly reddish color (less mature than for black tea), followed by a green-killing stir-fry to remove the raw flavor characteristic of sun-dried black teas. The leaves are then dried and pressed into cakes.

These faked aged teas are relatively easy to spot due to their pre-fermentation process, which imparts a noticeable black tea flavor. They are particularly misleading to newcomers, who have limited experience with different teas and aged teas. Such teas are not bitter or astringent, if at all, and are sweet upon entry, with a high degree of sweetness. This can impress newcomers, especially when combined with sales talk, leading to a costly lesson. After storing such teas for two to three years, one realizes that the quality diminishes rather than improves.

After reviewing these four methods of producing aged teas, careful observation should help avoid over two-thirds of potential pitfalls. In future discussions, we'll delve deeper into more nuanced aspects of aged teas.

Related Reading

Lao Xu on Tea: Is It Hard to Tell Real from Fake Aged Teas? Different Faking Methods Have Distinct Characteristics!