Wet-warehouse Pu'er Tea has a darker and deeper liquor color, not clear or bright, unless the degree of wet storage is very light, it's an aged tea, or it has been out of the wet warehouse for many years, in which case it may appear clear and glossy. The liquor is smooth and sweet, with a full mouthfeel; properly stored tea often surpasses dry-stored tea. However, the biggest drawback is that no matter how long it is removed from the wet warehouse, it will always have a warehouse flavor.

A few key points for identifying wet-warehouse tea can be made through comprehensive judgment based on appearance, liquor color, mouthfeel, and infused leaves. Characteristics of dampened tea:

One: Basically, there will be white bloom; severe cases show yellow spots, green mold, or black fuzz. For those stored with less humidity, the tea surface still appears glossy.

Two: The tea leaves are indistinct, lacking luster.

Three: The center of the tea cake is hard while the edges crumble.

Four: There is often evidence of tea bugs, white, stringy residue, and droppings.

Five: The outer wrapping paper and inner flyers easily have tea stains.

Six: The liquor color is dark, leaning towards black, not clear or bright.

Seven: The mouthfeel is dull and heavy, not refreshing, with off-flavors.

Eight: Infused leaves are mixed in color, uneven, and prone to black carbonization.

Non-Wet Warehouse (Dry Warehouse) Tea

Relative to wet-warehouse tea, dry warehouse tea is not deliberately exposed to increased humidity, temperature, poor ventilation, or additives. It is naturally stored in spaces where humans can live for extended periods. This is called non-wet warehouse tea.

The liquor color of non-wet warehouse raw Pu'er tea ranges from golden yellow to reddish yellow, varying by age, production process, and variety; the defining characteristic and key point is that the liquor color is clear and bright, with an oily sheen.

“Fruit acidity” is a primary characteristic of non-wet warehouse tea with some age. It has a refreshing mouthfeel that isn't cloying, strong aftertaste, ample tea character, and lingering aroma in the Cup. A forty to fifty-year-old vintage tea, if not wet-stored, still carries a slight bitterness when steeped strongly. Its drawbacks include slow aging, high astringency, and relatively thin body.

Rotating Storage (Flipping)

In private storage, due to long-term storage, there are differences in relative temperature and humidity as well as ventilation within the space. Conditions for tea stored at the top, bottom, front, and back of the warehouse are inevitably different. To ensure that the aging rate of the entire batch of tea is consistent and to minimize these differences, the tea is appropriately relocated. This is known as rotating storage.

De-Wetting

Wet-warehouse Pu'er tea is artificially aged using high temperature, high humidity, and poor ventilation, producing odors reminiscent of decaying straw and earth that most people find unappealing. Tea merchants place the tea in a special environment, such as one with high temperature, low humidity, and good ventilation, to eliminate most of the unpleasant off-flavors in the tea. This is called “de-wetting.”

This type of storage is traditional de-wetting in Hong Kong, but if the temperature is too high, it can cause the tea leaves to turn black without shine, resulting in a thin, watery liquor.

Differences Between Dry-Warehouse and Wet-Warehouse Tea

1. Dry-Warehouse Tea: Broadly speaking, dry-warehouse tea refers to Pu'er tea stored under suitable temperature and humidity conditions (year-round temperature not exceeding 32°C, humidity not exceeding 75%), avoiding direct sunlight, with moderate ventilation and no extraneous odors.

2. Quality Characteristics of Dry-Warehouse Tea: The dry leaves are distinct, the tea cake surface is glossy and lustrous, the aroma is pure and natural, with no extraneous odors; the liquor is transparent and bright, with an oily sheen; after brewing, the aroma is naturally pure and free of off-flavors, the liquor is rich, full-bodied, and has complex layers of change; the infused leaves are uniform in color and have a pure aroma.

3. Wet-Warehouse Tea: When Pu'er tea is stored for a long time under high temperature and high humidity (temperature above 32°C, humidity above 75%), the harmful molds that grow naturally destroy the essence of the tea, causing it to become moldy and lose its drinking value. Such tea is usually referred to as wet-warehouse tea.

4. Quality Characteristics of Wet-Warehouse Tea: The dry leaves have obvious signs of mold, the leaves are dry and dull, and they have a pungent musty Odor; the liquor color is deeper than that of dry-warehouse tea of the same vintage, and is murky and not transparent; the musty and earthy flavors in the liquor surface and liquor are noticeable, with little tea aroma; the liquor is bland and rough in mouthfeel, leaving the throat feeling dry and constricted after drinking; the infused leaves are mixed, with a sense of rotting or carbonization, and off-flavors are evident.