For beginners in the world of Pu'er Tea, one of the most awkward aspects is that while aged teas are often said to be the best, they are hard to come by. When you do get a chance to taste them, they are either not available for purchase or simply unaffordable. Friends often suggest that it's more cost-effective to store your own tea, but how does one choose which tea to store? This presents an even greater challenge. Today, we will discuss how to select raw Pu'er tea that ages well.

To choose a new tea, one must first understand what makes an aged tea good. A good aged raw Pu'er should possess characteristics such as fullness, thickness, smoothness, and long-lasting aftertaste. However, these qualities must manifest in a harmonious and gentle manner, with a clean and rich flavor profile. Conversely, a poor-quality aged tea would be bland, old, and have off-flavors; its character would be simple and lack depth. Working backward from this result, we can easily arrive at our first conclusion: a good raw Pu'er must be full-bodied, thick, and flavorful. Bitterness, astringency, aroma, sweetness, freshness, and briskness are all desirable flavors, though different regions may exhibit these qualities differently. If the tea only has a single note of bitterness or a mild sweetness, it is unlikely to undergo a surprising transformation over time. The process of storing raw Pu'er tea is one of natural fermentation, so without depth of character, there would be nothing to transform.

The most controversial issue concerns the bitterness and astringency of new teas. Bitterness and astringency are the result of tannins and Caffeine interacting in the mouth, so their presence is not necessarily bad. There are two scenarios: in a good tea, the bitterness and astringency gradually dissipate, transforming into a refreshing aftertaste and leaving a pleasant aroma in the mouth. In a poor tea, however, the bitterness and astringency linger and are accompanied by a certain level of irritation, even leading to dryness in the mouth and difficulty swallowing. Assuming both teas are processed properly, the tea whose bitterness and astringency dissipate quickly is significantly better. Two teas with similar levels of bitterness and astringency can differ in price by up to ten times. Therefore, a raw Pu'er with a full-bodied character that quickly produces a positive oral response generally ages well, and the Lao Banzhang tea region is a prime example of this.

The hardest type of tea to judge is the sweet and soft new tea. According to the theory mentioned above, if a new tea is mild and sweet, it is likely to become bland over time. However, there are also new teas that are sweet and soft yet age to become fuller and richer. Yiwu ancient tree tea is a representative of this category. We have tried many raw materials that are mild and sweet when new, and after three to five years of storage, they tend to become thin and insipid. Yiwu ancient tree tea, on the other hand, stands out; when young, it is not particularly thick, but over time it becomes fuller and richer, providing a delightful surprise. Through years of comparison, we have found that although both are sweet and soft, there are distinct differences in flavor. In addition to being sweet and soft, Yiwu tea has floral and honey-like aromas and a wild character. Some other teas that are sweet and soft lack these rich floral and honey notes. Although these differences are not obvious when the tea is new, they make a significant difference during the aging process. This requires us to savor the tea carefully, paying attention to subtle details.

Some people say that experts blend teas, regardless of the quality of the raw material, to achieve the desired outcome through blending. We have discussed blending multiple times, so I won't go into detail here, but the conclusion is clear: no matter how skillfully blended, the quality of the raw material determines the final product. Many characteristics are bestowed by nature. For example, can cultivated ginseng from Sichuan compare to wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain? Could blending twenty different types of Erguotou create something akin to Feitian Maotai? Using top-grade ancient tree tea mixed with plantation tea and then selling it as pure ancient tree tea is not blending; it is fraud. As consumers tasting tea, we have no way of knowing whether the tea has been blended or how it was blended, nor do we need to know. We only care about the end result: whether it tastes good or not.

Complex matters should be simplified as much as possible. When selecting tea, we must continuously summarize our findings. Whether new or aged, good tea is always enjoyable. If a new tea is enjoyable, the aged version is unlikely to disappoint. There are generally two styles of good new tea: one is thick with a strong and long-lasting aftertaste and refreshment; the other is sweet, smooth, and has a long-lasting aftertaste. As long as the price is reasonable, it is fine to store various styles of tea. However, if you plan to invest heavily in a particular tea, you must proceed with caution and choose based on personal preference. The purpose of storing tea is to bring joy to oneself, and storing tea that you don't enjoy yourself doesn't make much sense. Some people store tea for the potential appreciation in value, but unless you have a deep understanding of tea, how could you predict its future value?

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