Why don't Tea merchants actively recommend you buy second-year raw Pu'er tea?

This is an interesting phenomenon. I wonder if tea enthusiasts have noticed it.

When you're buying tea, most merchants — or rather, smart merchants — generally won't proactively recommend second-year raw Pu'er tea to you.

In fact, I've explained the reasons before. Those who regularly follow my content will likely know the answer by now.

Indeed, in most cases, first-year raw Pu'er tea has a fresh taste that is usually quite pleasant. However, during the first year of storage, the ratio of amino acids to catechins in the tea widens (amino acids decrease rapidly while catechins decrease more slowly), resulting in increased astringency and diminished freshness in the second year. As a result, the tea becomes less palatable. Smart merchants, therefore, wouldn't push second-year teas with heavier astringency and poorer taste on their customers.

This is what we often refer to as the awkward period when raw tea transitions from new to aged. Generally speaking, after three years of storage, the tea's taste improves, and this is when merchants are more likely to recommend it.

So, if you happen to purchase second-year raw Pu'er tea and find it too astringent and unpalatable, don't throw it away just yet. Try storing it for another one or two years; chances are, the taste you desire will return.