The degree of fermentation in Pu'er Tea is often described using terms like “how mature.” During the pile-fermentation process of Pu'er tea, the color and taste of the tea buds continuously change. Pu'er teas with different fermentation times and degrees have distinctly different Leaf bases and tastes. The “degree of maturity” in Pu'er tea is commonly judged based on taste evaluation and observation of the leaf base.

How mature should Pu'er ripe tea be for optimal taste?

In the world of Pu'er tea, experienced masters who are skilled in fermentation are the most valuable assets to any tea factory. Thus, their common saying is that both under- and over-fermented teas are undesirable; moderation is best!

Light fermentation enhances the activity of the leaf base, extending the life cycle of Pu'er ripe tea and quickly increasing the strength of its aftertaste. After further transformation, it can retain more personalized flavors and aromas.

However, if light fermentation is not well controlled,

the drawbacks are significant: noticeable bitterness and astringency, a slightly off-taste, an impure aged aroma, lacking the pure aged aroma characteristic of Pu'er ripe tea, resulting in a “half-baked” tea that doesn't fit into any category.

Moderately fermented ripe tea achieves both the full-bodied soup and Sweetness of heavily Fermented tea and the active leaf base and aftertaste of lightly fermented tea, while also maintaining a pure aged aroma, avoiding the drawbacks of both extremes.

Enthusiasts of ripe Pu'er may find that “moderate fermentation” is the most alluring, as the term “moderate”

itself carries a mystical cultural attribute.

“Moderate” means neither too much nor too little, it embodies “moderation,” “appropriateness,” “suitability,” and “just right.”

Therefore, achieving this balance is the most challenging yet widely recognized approach.

Ripe tea that reaches 90% or higher maturity is considered heavily fermented. This can be simply understood as fully matured, with all its energy released and no remaining substances for further transformation.

The leaf base typically appears dark brown or even darker, with signs of carbonization and dryness being more evident. Heavily fermented tea has little storage value later on and is rarely seen in the market. If a tea stored in a humid environment becomes severely damp and then rapidly ferments, it will become heavily fermented. Such ripe Pu'er teas are easy to identify.