Aged Pu'er is a reward from time, a meticulous sculpting of details by the passage of years. In its silence through the flow of time, life elevates to an art form.

For Tea enthusiasts who are passionate about Pu'er tea, aged Pu'er is a tea with memory. It is imbued with the honeyed fragrance of the years and carries the weight of time.

Old Pu'er, stored for a long time, has ripened tea leaves that have turned reddish-brown and lustrous. Raw teas lose their yellow-green or greenish hues, transforming into yellow-red or reddish-brown, with an even color. When you pinch aged old Pu'er with your fingers, it feels slightly puffed due to oxidation and fermentation. Its natural color and a scent of age define its character.

The Taste of Aged Pu'er Tea

1. **Pure:** At the peak of its transformation, aged Pu'er has no off-flavors. Its taste is sweet and mellow, with a rich and glossy amber-colored liquor. Even the infused leaves are uniformly transformed, reddish-brown with a hint of red. Purity means no impurities, making aged Pu'er the epitome of purity.

2. **Mellow:** Over long-term aging, aged Pu'er becomes smoother and more velvety, with uncomfortable flavors and sensations completely transformed. Like a gentle rain at night, it subtly permeates the body with a soft sweetness, achieving the utmost in mellow softness.

3. **Aged:** After decades of aging, aged Pu'er dispels stacky, off-flavors, and astringency. The mouth is filled with a rich aged flavor, enhancing the aged aroma of ripe teas. This aged quality embodies the taste of time.

4. **Rich:** Pu'er tea improves with age, becoming richer in flavor. As ripe teas age, their internal components are released, and previously less water-soluble substances become smaller molecules. The liquor becomes richer, leading to more complex and layered tastes.

5. **Fragrant:** The aroma of aged Pu'er is the sedimentation of time, deeply imprinted within the tea. Having endured the test of time, it exudes a heavy, stable fragrance that lingers and does not dissipate easily. It allows us to savor the flavors of times past.

6. **Sweet:** After decades of transformation, bitterness, astringency, and sourness fade, leaving a pronounced sweetness. Particularly noticeable is the conversion of polysaccharides to monosaccharides and oligosaccharides. After the sweet and mellow taste, a subtle sweetness returns from the throat, known as “returning sweetness.” This is a unique phenomenon of aged ripe teas, where the sweetness is particularly enjoyable and memorable.

The age of stored Pu'er, the vitality of the dry leaves, and the aged aroma after brewing provide a distinctive experience for drinkers, vastly different from drinking fresh tea. Tea enthusiasts can appreciate the artistry of time's sedimentation.

Furthermore, aged Pu'er possesses collection value because Pu'er tea is exceptionally durable and increases in value over time. Since it can be enjoyed and is easy to collect, people generally have a strong interest in collecting aged Pu'er.

What Kind of Pu'er Tea is Worth Collecting?

What kind of Pu'er tea is worth storing? This depends on when the bitterness and astringency transform into a returning sweetness.

A good Cup of Pu'er tea must have color, aroma, and taste. “Color” refers to the hue of the tea liquor, which should be distinct, neither too dark like black paint nor too light like pale yellow. The ideal color is a chestnut red. Pu'er tea must have a tea aroma, which is the soul of the tea.

No matter how delicious or valuable a tea may be, if it lacks aroma, it lacks soul. Whether new or old, it may contain various floral and honey aromas, but it must have the inherent aroma of Pu'er tea. Without aroma, there is no soul.

Ultimately, the taste of the tea liquor is decisive. The mouthfeel should be thick, and the transition from astringency to sweetness should be swift. Pu'er tea, being a large-leaf variety, is rich in internal components and has sufficient polyphenols, which give it a robust thickness. Only such teas can be stored and stand the test of time, growing stronger with age.

Pu'er tea will have some astringency, but the saying “if it's not bitter, it's not a good tea” isn't entirely accurate. “Bitterness followed by returning sweetness, astringency followed by salivation,” that's what makes a good tea.

Most importantly, regardless of any tea, if you feel uncomfortable after drinking it, then no matter how precious the tea is, it is not a good tea for you. After all, tea is meant to be consumed, and the most important thing is that it suits your taste!