Pu'er Tea's place of origin is mainly located in high-altitude areas of tropical and subtropical zones, with an average annual temperature around 20°C to 25°C and a relatively small annual temperature difference. The relative humidity is around 60% to 70%, offering a temperate climate and superior natural environment.
The core elements of Pu'er tea storage include: temperature, humidity, and beneficial microbial flora.
The optimal storage temperature for Pu'er tea is between 20°C and 30°C, with extremes not lower than 5°C and not higher than 40°C; the optimal humidity is between 55% and 75%, with extremes not lower than 40% and not higher than 80%. Therefore, the place of origin for Yunnan Pu'er tea provides an excellent environment for storing Pu'er tea.
I personally lean towards storage in the place of origin, primarily because it possesses the following five core advantages:
Storage in the place of origin ensures safer aging
A particular land nurtures its people and also its tea. The climate and environment of the place of origin are more favorable for storing Pu'er tea. Whether considering temperature, humidity, or beneficial microbial flora, they all confer unique advantages for the transformation of Pu'er tea over time.
The main tea-producing regions within the geographical indication protection area of Yunnan Pu'er tea experience mild winters and cool summers, ensuring the natural cycle of Pu'er tea's maturation.
More importantly, most of the time, the humidity in the Pu'er tea production areas of Yunnan is not too high, making the later maturation of Pu'er tea safer. This also reduces expenses related to regulating temperature and humidity, lowering storage costs.
Storage in the place of origin yields healthier quality
The wonders of nature have created unique climates in different places, forming very distinct “terroir.” In the place of origin for Pu'er tea, beneficial microorganisms predominate, while various harmful bacteria and fungi are less common.
Scientific storage allows the internal components of Pu'er tea to transform naturally according to certain rules, generating more substances that are beneficial to human health. This natural terroir of the place of origin is crucial for the later maturation of Pu'er tea and will make the tea's quality even healthier.
Storage in the place of origin produces purer aroma
“Warm storage ripens, cold storage enhances aroma” is a general rule in the maturation process of Pu'er tea. Generally speaking, in places with higher temperatures and humidity, the microbial flora of Pu'er tea grows and reproduces faster, which is more conducive to the tea's “ripening.” However, such warm and humid environments can also foster harmful bacteria and fungi, negatively impacting the later transformation of Pu'er tea and causing what we often refer to as damp storage flavor, moldy taste, or other off-flavors.
In contrast, places with slightly lower temperatures and humidity are more conducive to the transformation of Pu'er tea's aroma, more likely to form “maturation-induced aroma,” and less prone to generate off-flavors. As a result, the aroma becomes cleaner and purer.
Storage in the place of origin results in richer taste
Pu'er tea is living and grows according to its own life cycle, maturing over time. The greatest advantage of storage in the place of origin is that it conforms to Pu'er tea's life cycle, providing the best environment for its later transformation.
The seasonal changes and alternation of hot and cold external environments allow Pu'er tea to transform better according to its life cycle, without consuming its internal components too quickly in warm and humid environments. The transformation of the internal components of Pu'er tea neither occurs too rapidly nor too slowly, resulting in a more harmonious and full-bodied taste.
Storage in the place of origin produces more distinctive flavors
Pu'er tea is Yunnan's most distinctive “local specialty.” “Local specialty” is a straightforward explanation of the place of origin, which implies “flavor,” “style,” and “quality.” The fact that Pu'er tea has a unique taste on each mountain and a hundred different tastes in every Village demonstrates the tea's flavor characteristics. Storage in the place of origin better showcases the increasing fragrance of Pu'er tea over time. Additionally, under the influence of the unique beneficial microbial flora found in the place of origin for Pu'er tea, the tea exhibits its distinctive regional characteristics, offering consumers a wonderful Pu'er flavor experience.
Of course, storage in the place of origin of Pu'er tea refers to the broader concept of storage in the place of origin, meaning storage within a specific region (for example, within the geographical indication region of Pu'er tea) and not necessarily requiring that tea from Laobanzhang must be stored and aged in Laobanzhang Village, or that Bingdao tea must be stored and aged in Bingdao Village.
Generally speaking, good Pu'er tea made from high-quality large-Leaf Yunnan tea and processed using correct Pu'er tea techniques and scientific storage will enter the appropriate drinking period around five years, with a milder tea nature, reduced bitterness and astringency, and a smoother taste.
Ten years after production, it generally enters the peak drinking period, with rich and smooth taste. The peak drinking period usually lasts five to ten years. After the peak drinking period, the value of drinking diminishes gradually. Therefore, we should savor Pu'er tea during the appropriate drinking period up until the peak drinking period, experiencing the unique charm and wonderful sensations that Pu'er tea brings.