Today, I continue to discuss several points to consider when choosing a Tea for daily consumption. In the previous episode, we covered five issues to be aware of when selecting raw Pu'er tea. Let's proceed and also clarify the considerations for ripe Pu'er tea.

The sixth issue in selecting raw Pu'er tea is to try to avoid buying rainy season tea and aim to purchase Spring Tea, or Autumn Tea if available. However, there are differences in quality between spring and autumn teas, which can result in price differences of up to three to five times. The characteristics of rainy season tea are relatively clear: thin and long stems, large inter-leaf spacing, thin leaves, and larger leaf area compared to spring tea. Most leaves are paired leaves. This might sound abstract, but it's not difficult to grasp by observing the leaf base and making comparisons.

Seventh, try to avoid teas with a high proportion of red stems and red leaves, more than 10% being considered excessive. It's normal to have a small amount of red stems and red leaves occasionally.

Mastering these seven points will enable you to select a Pu'er raw tea of good quality and reasonable price.

Now let's talk about ripe Pu'er tea. Building on the knowledge of selecting raw Pu'er tea, here are some additional points:

First, everyone knows that ripe tea requires artificial pile fermentation. Although this process may seem simple, it requires sufficient experience and favorable weather conditions to produce a good ripe tea. Even a slight mistake can result in off-flavors, rendering the tea essentially useless. It's important to note that the heap smell produced during fermentation is different from off-flavors; the heap smell will gradually dissipate over time, typically within about three years. Therefore, I recommend purchasing ripe teas that have been out of production for at least three years.

Second, the liquor should be bright and clear, ideally a wine red color similar to red wine. Avoid those with a soy sauce color. Immediately after fermentation, ripe teas tend to have a murky liquor, which becomes clearer as the tea is compressed into cakes and stored for a period of time. Typically, this takes more than three years, so again, I recommend purchasing ripe teas that have been out of production for at least three years. If the liquor is still murky after three years, it suggests a problem with the fermentation process, usually due to insufficient temperature in the center of the pile. This can affect the tea's later transformation and result in a musty taste, poor fragrance dispersion, and a dull flavor.

Third, I believe the best location for fermentation is Menghai in Xishuangbanna. Teas fermented here exhibit distinct characteristics such as a pure, smooth taste and good sweetness. This description is not comprehensive, as the taste is challenging to describe in words. The so-called “Menghai flavor” requires some comparative tasting. Once you've done a bit of cross-tasting, the flavor is easy to remember.

Fourth, the degree of fermentation maturity should be moderate, preferring slightly under-fermented teas over overly mature ones. This is because under-fermented ripe teas have greater potential for further transformation, while overly matured teas have limited transformation prospects. Overly matured teas lack complexity and aroma, have poor durability, and have a very dark liquor color, significantly reducing their drinking and storage value.

By tasting more, gaining more exposure, and understanding the key points discussed in these two episodes of “Lao Xu on Tea,” your ability to evaluate tea will improve significantly. Finally, I wish everyone success in finding their ideal Pu'er tea!

Related Reading

Lao Xu on Tea: Want to Select a High-Quality, Affordable Daily Tea? Here Are Some Points to Consider! (Part 1)