Introduction to the Liquor Color and Aroma of Aged Dark Tea

We know that the color of the liquid extracted when tea leaves are brewed with boiling water is called liquor color. Liquor color varies in depth, brightness, and clarity. A bright, clear, transparent, and pure liquor with no impurities is considered good; a dull, cloudy liquor is considered poor. So what are the liquor color and aroma of aged dark tea? The following is a detailed introduction:

There is no fixed standard for the storage time of dark tea. Generally, for tightly compressed teas (such as dark brick tea and patterned brick tea), because air cannot penetrate the brick, the auto-oxidation process is weakened, and the metabolism of microorganisms is also inhibited, so the storage time should be longer. To make the taste of dark tea pure and smooth without astringency, it takes about 10 years or more (under the climatic conditions of Hunan). For teas that are less tightly compressed (such as Tianjian, Gongjian, Shengjian, and Fu brick tea), the aging process is relatively faster, generally taking about 3 to 5 years to improve the tea's flavor.

Taking Fu brick tea as an example, the mushroom floral aroma of Fu brick tea becomes more pronounced with age. In the middle stage, it presents a flavor similar to Poria cocos, and in the later stage, the aged aroma dominates. Old tea is resistant to steeping, and aged teas can generally be brewed more than ten times. Their characteristics are as follows:

The liquor color is bright red and clear, with no sediment or cloudiness, resembling aged wine, and is highly ornamental. Household glassware can be used for brewing to facilitate observing the color.

Taste: The first infusion is sweet, smooth, and rich on the palate, with a slight sour aftertaste; the middle stage is purely sweet and refreshing, melting in the mouth; in the later stage, as the liquor color becomes lighter, the tea taste remains sweet and pure, with no off-flavors.

Aroma: The first infusion has a mellow aroma with an aged note, with less biting character; the middle stage has both mellow and aged characteristics; the later stage prominently features an aged aroma, with the mellow aroma fading away.

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