What is aged tea? The rarity of aged tea lies in its aging time. By selecting high-quality Pu-erh tea and storing it scientifically, one can savor a premium aged tea with a clear, oily liquor, a delicate aged aroma, a smooth, soft, mellow, and sweet taste. What is aged tea, and how can we identify it when purchasing?
New tea and aged tea are relative terms. Conventionally, the first few batches of fresh leaves picked in spring or tea processed from leaves harvested in the current year are called new tea. Tea processed from leaves harvested the previous year or even earlier, even if stored scientifically, is generally referred to as aged tea. Some tea experts categorize tea stored for 1-5 years as new tea; 5-10 years as old tea; 10-20 years as aged tea; and over 20 years as well-aged tea or simply old tea.
"Drink tea when it's new, and wine when it's aged" is a long-standing summary of drinking culture. For most tea varieties, new tea is indeed considered better. However, not all teas are better when fresh. Some tea varieties actually improve in quality after being stored for a certain period. Aged tea undergoes changes over time, altering its original nature, suppressing negative aspects, enhancing beneficial ones, resulting in a transformation that is more beneficial to humans. For example, Wuyi Rock Tea has a tradition of "aging before drinking." Traditionally, Wuyi Rock Tea is heavily roasted. Drinking it immediately after roasting can cause a dry sensation due to unresolved "fire energy," so it is generally stored for a period before consumption, making the taste more mellow.
Moreover, roasted tea not only stabilizes and improves the quality of the tea but also allows for long-term storage. Especially after five, ten, or even more years of aging, the flavor becomes richer and more mellow. Similarly, teas like Hubei Qingzhuan tea, Hunan Fuzhuan tea, Yunnan Pu-erh tea, and Guangxi Liubao tea can not only avoid spoilage but even improve in quality if stored properly. This is because during storage, these teas develop two main types of aromas: one is the aged aroma formed during slow aging, and the other is a slight musty aroma produced by a small amount of mold. These two aromas interact and coordinate, creating a new fragrance that people enjoy.
The rarity of aged tea lies in its aging time, which is difficult to determine precisely. Relying solely on tasting—judging by color, aroma, taste, leaf strip appearance, and brewed leaves—is subjective and varies from person to person. Additionally, the taster's discernment is crucial, which naturally requires accumulation of experience over time.
When selecting aged tea, attention should be paid to the following aspects: 1. The growing environment of the tea plant (including ecology, climate, soil, etc.). Superior natural conditions form the material basis for good tea quality; only tea with good initial quality is worth aging. 2. Excellent tea plant varieties. 3. Scientific and reasonable production and processing techniques, especially traditional processing methods, which make the tea more resistant to storage and less prone to developing off-flavors. 4. Scientific storage methods. With these four prerequisites, even after many years of aging, one can enjoy a high-quality aged tea with a delicate aged aroma, clear and oily liquor, mellow sweetness, and a smooth, soft texture.
To purchase authentic aged tea, it is best to choose reputable brand tea companies or tea merchants with good market reputations. You can also identify it through the following methods:
1. Appearance: Genuine aged tea leaves turn brown, dark brown, or even black, with a natural color. They emit an aged aroma when smelled, sometimes similar to Pu-erh. For tea over 30 years old, hand-picking was more common, with less scissor-cutting. Tea over 50 years old is all hand-picked, appearing in strip form because tea processing at that time did not involve rolling.
2. Tea Liquor: For very old tea, the leaves may not fully unfurl after brewing; some may show signs of lignification. If the leaves appear shiny black, it is often a "freshly made old tea" through charcoal roasting, not genuine aged tea. For example, aged Oolong tea stored for about 30 years has a light amber liquor; over 40 years, the color deepens.
3. Taste: Aged tea is rich, mellow, sweet, and smooth, with a slight hint of acidity. Authentic aged tea is not charcoal-roasted, as charcoal-roasted tea can cause internal heat; therefore, aged tea should not have a charcoal taste. Moreover, the concept of charcoal roasting is a recent development. Aged tea undergoes long-term natural fermentation, resulting in a smooth, natural, sweet, non-irritating, warm, and brew-resistant taste.
4. Storage: Shortly after opening aged tea, if the tea liquor turns sour, it is due to the activation of the tea and its transformation upon contact with air. It will return to its original fragrant and mellow taste after a few weeks. This is the true aged "living old tea."
What is aged tea? Chinese tea is diverse and rich. In fact, any type of tea has its merits. Both new tea and aged tea have their own characteristics. As long as it suits your taste, it is good tea.