A Guide to Buying Aged Puerh Tea

Buying aged Puerh tea can feel confusing, especially with so many choices on the market. The year of production can significantly influence enthusiasts and collectors. Regular tea consumers, however, should trust their taste preferences instead of focusing solely on the year. This article covers several important points to consider when purchasing aged Puerh tea.

Taste Matters

Taste remains the most important factor when choosing Puerh tea. If you find a clean, flavorful tea that you enjoy, consider buying it regardless of its production year. Let your taste guide your purchasing decision.

Understanding the Year

Raw Puerh Tea: Raw Puerh teas that are one to two years old typically deliver a bitter flavor followed by a sweet aftertaste. Good Puerh tea produces this sweetness more quickly and maintains it for longer. If you prefer less bitterness and a faster transition to sweetness, choose raw tea that has aged longer.

Ripe Puerh Tea: Producers manually ferment ripe Puerh tea, allowing you to consume it immediately. Newly fermented tea may retain a fermentation smell that requires time to dissipate. This smell typically disappears after two to three years, when the tea often reaches its best flavor. Longer aging usually improves the taste. Ripe tea also often costs less than raw tea from the same year.

Consider the Tea’s Origin

The region where the tea trees grow can influence the taste of Puerh tea. Some sellers claim that drought conditions in Yunnan produce sweeter tea in smaller quantities. Although this claim may sound plausible, the type of tea tree and growing region influence the flavor more than the weather conditions during a particular year.

Aged Puerh Storage Duration Matters

Many Puerh enthusiasts buy tea specifically for aging. Storing Puerh tea for several years can enhance its flavor. Waiting a few years before drinking it allows you to experience its flavor transformation while increasing its value.

If you intend to store Puerh tea, consider buying newer tea or tea within the first two years after production. These teas cost less, and several years of aging often improve their flavor and increase their value.