First, let's clarify what is meant by “artificial aging.” Simply put, it involves artificially processing the Tea through post-production methods to make it appear, in terms of appearance, aroma, and taste, as if it has been stored for longer than its actual age. Artificially aged white teas usually come in compressed form.

Artificial aging refers to the deliberate creation of old tea for profit. It commonly occurs in tea types suitable for long-term storage, such as White Tea, dark tea, and raw Pu'er tea.

The aging of tea primarily results from the oxidation of polyphenols and other internal components, leading to changes in color, aroma, taste, and efficacy. Artificial aging can be achieved through high temperatures, increased humidity, or more direct chemical means like strong oxidizing agents.

How to Distinguish Artificially Aged Old Tea

1. Appearance:

Loose tea, due to its larger surface area exposed to air, undergoes slow and even oxidation. If you purchase an old tea where the dry loose leaves show uneven coloration and aging, it might be artificially aged.

If the age of Compressed tea does not match the degree of visual aging, there is a high likelihood that it is artificially aged. However, for dark teas and other teas with naturally deep colors, distinguishing based on appearance alone can be difficult.

2. Differences in infusion color, aroma, and taste are our main basis for distinguishing them.

Artificially aged teas undergo re-oxidation after being processed into finished tea, which reactivates intermediate products and generates impurities.

In terms of infusion color, artificially aged teas tend to be murky.

In terms of aroma, the re-oxidation of aromatic compounds leads to the generation of aldehydes and ketones, resulting in a weakening of the original aroma or the presence of unpleasant off-flavors.

In terms of taste, the presence of impurities reduces the purity and delicacy of the flavor, making the tea more astringent and lacking in aftertaste.

3. The leaf base and the final infusions help us verify our judgment.

The rapid re-oxidation of finished tea leads to the consumption of internal components, resulting in the tea not being able to withstand multiple infusions and the arrival of the final infusions too early.

The leaf base will exhibit characteristics of being fragmented, lacking resilience and vitality.

However, the quality of a tea can also be influenced by factors such as production techniques and storage conditions, such as whether the fermentation was excessive, whether the rolling was too heavy, whether it was further processed into cake tea, and whether it was stored under appropriate conditions.

These factors all affect how a tea presents itself. Judging whether a tea is good is relatively simple, but identifying the reasons behind its quality is much harder. In summary, for those who have the means and want to enjoy aged tea, the best way is to store new tea and drink old tea over time.