Seeing this title, are you surprised? There are actually Pu'er teas that should not be bought? Yes, it's not just about the grading of Pu'er teas, but also about the existence of imposters. As casual Tea drinkers, if we want to drink with peace of mind, we must know the tricks in the Pu'er tea market and have the ability to discern genuine from fake Pu'er teas.

Do not underestimate the ability to distinguish genuine from fake Pu'er teas; some people have lost millions because of this.
Zou Jiaju, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Yunnan Tea Association, once told a reporter, “A friend enthusiastically told me he had purchased a ‘Golden Bullet' for several hundred dollars with a 30-year storage age and invited me to taste it. I laughed at him for being duped.” Why did he say that? Because Golden Bullets only appeared after 1992, so how could there be one with a 30-year storage age? The answer is simple: it was a fake.

Pu'er teas priced excessively below market rates should not be bought
We often mock others for being exploited while still counting money for the exploiter. Yet, we often make the same mistake ourselves. Perhaps people are naturally greedy, always believing they are the lucky ones, different from others. In the end, after a series of disappointments, we repeat our mistakes. A prime example is the 9.9 yuan old Ban Zhang tea with free shipping. Anyone with even a slight knowledge of Ban Zhang knows how expensive the raw tea is, yet why do some people still buy it? What if it's real? At 9.9 yuan, you can't lose much, right?

Old teas without a verifiable history should be approached with caution
The production of Phoenix Tuocha in Nanzhan started in the 1990s, but some people claim it dates back to the 1970s. The chaos surrounding old Pu'er teas reflects a fact: most of the so-called aged Pu'er teas sold on the market are not genuine. How can we enjoy good old teas then? Choose branded tea products, reliable sellers, or store them yourself. If the first two options are not reliable, the safest choice is to store them yourself. Since there isn't a comprehensive system for tracing Pu'er teas, it's difficult to track their history. Therefore, it's best to rely on self-storage.

Ripe teas with production dates before 1973 should not be bought
Previously, all Pu'er teas from Yunnan were raw teas, with no ripe teas. Ripe teas officially appeared starting from 1973, and in 1975, the artificial heap fermentation technology was successfully tested at Kunming Tea Factory, ushering in a new chapter in Pu'er tea production. The development of artificial fermentation technology aimed to solve the problem of the long natural post-fermentation process (often taking decades). Thus, it imitates the natural fermentation process to speed up the aging of Pu'er teas.
Moldy or foul-smelling Pu'er teas should not be bought
Teas with strong adsorption properties, if they are moldy or have an odd smell, indirectly indicate poor storage conditions. Such teas do not provide the best drinking experience and are unsuitable for further aging. Why do teas become moldy? We know that the three factors for post-fermentation in Pu'er teas are humidity, temperature, and oxygen content. Accidental moisture exposure can cause mold, as can artificially increasing the humidity in storage environments to accelerate fermentation and create the illusion of aged teas. Regardless of the reason, such teas are not recommended for purchase.

Pu'er teas whose age and appearance do not match should not be bought
Old teas are products of their times, and each era's teas differ due to the unique historical context. Moreover, molds used, including stone, iron, and wooden molds, have specific appearances and processes in each period, which significantly affect the aging of the teas. Therefore, we can use scattered information as auxiliary tools for identifying the age of Pu'er teas. If there are inconsistencies, one must proceed with caution. It's not that the Pu'er tea industry is overly complex, but rather that Pu'er teas are highly sought after.
Especially during major holidays, so when buying tea, caution is advised. (Source: Pu'er Family; Author: A Cup of Tea's Time; Image Source: ChaYouNet Image Library)