Puer Tea comes in two forms: loose Leaf and compressed. However, when most people choose to collect Puer tea, they typically prefer compressed Puer over loose leaf. Do you know why? What are the differences between the two in terms of taste and aging value? If we consider long-term storage, compressed teas such as cakes, bricks, and tuochas are better than loose leaf.
Storing Puer Tea: Loose Leaf or Compressed?
We believe there are mainly two aspects to consider:
For drinking now, store loose leaf: Raw loose leaf transforms faster and retains its complete and beautiful appearance, but attention should be paid to sealing it to preserve its aroma; ripe loose leaf is easier to rid of water and other unwanted odors.
Loose leaf Puer also comes in raw and ripe varieties. For those who want to buy and enjoy their tea early, we recommend buying loose leaf!
Firstly, loose leaf offers a beautiful appearance for entertaining guests or personal enjoyment. Secondly, loose leaf transforms more quickly compared to Compressed tea. Thirdly, the cost of pressing the tea into cakes is sometimes included by some merchants in the overall cost, and breaking up cakes can result in tea dust.
However, I think it's important to note that for those who enjoy young raw tea, while fresh tea has a varied and refreshing aroma, due to the processing methods, raw tea is colder in nature than Green Tea. Especially the first spring tea, which has a grassy flavor and strong stimulation, continuous and excessive consumption can put a heavy burden on the stomach. Therefore, those who frequently drink young raw tea should pay extra attention!
Therefore, for Puer that you plan to drink soon, we recommend storing it as loose leaf. This avoids the hassle of breaking up cakes and can save on the costs of pressing and packaging.
If you want to drink ripe tea immediately, we also suggest storing it loose; there is no need to press it into cakes. This has nothing to do with individual constitution. Ripe tea stored loose has greater contact with air, which helps eliminate fermentation and other unwanted odors. On the other hand, raw tea is different. The shorter the time raw tea is stored, the cooler its nature becomes, which is unsuitable for those with poor stomachs or a weak constitution!
For long-term storage, choose compressed tea: Compressed tea has less contact with air, transforming slower than loose leaf but preserving aroma and gathering tea essence. It doesn't take up much space and is the ultimate choice for Puer collectors.
For those who store compressed tea (bricks, cakes, tuochas), some are concerned about the cold and stimulating nature of raw tea affecting the stomach and hope that aging will make the tea milder and more pleasant to drink. Others want to track the changing flavors of a product over time, from its initial robustness to a mature, smooth, and rich character. A cake of tea, processed from fresh leaves to an aged tea, reveals a wealth of flavors when brewed, much like the various experiences in one's life, all blended into the tea infusion.
As for compressing ripe tea, one reason is to save space and facilitate storage. With advancements in processing techniques and changes in public perception, many “lightly fermented” and ancient tree ripe teas have emerged in the market, allowing ripe teas to age longer and become more fragrant. Moreover, the longer ripe tea is stored, the more significant changes occur in both taste and aroma. Therefore, those who want to enjoy high-quality ripe tea usually store some to savor slowly over time.
When storing Puer tea, I believe that five years is still considered new, and seven years is just entering the mid-aged stage. This applies not only to raw Puer but also to ripe Puer. To truly experience the smooth, soft, and rich flavor, time is required to complete the transformation.