An Exploration in Age Puerh Tea
Puerh tea has always been more than simply a hobby for me. It is a passion, a love that brings me great pleasure and satisfaction. So much so, that I have incorporated puerh tea into my life for close to 20 years now. As a blogger I invite you to browse the contents of my blog and you will understand my passion and genuine affection for puerh tea through the various entries I have written.
>> http://theguidetopuerhtea.blogspot.com
Today’s tea market is heavily saturated with young teas. The opportunity to experience and develop an understanding for age tea is limited. With this in mind I am experimenting with the idea of offering sample packs under different themes to highlight the different aspects of age tea at an affordable price. This would provide a genuine opportunity for tea enthusiasts to gain exposure to the appeals of age tea and the different variations of storage. I am posting here to gauge the interest of my fellow tea lovers. If you are a puerh tea enthusiast with an interest in pursuing age tea I would love to hear for you.
What aspects of age tea interests you and what would like to experience?
Which of the options below would interest you most?
1) The Variations of Traditional (Wet) StorageThe extensive practice of traditional (wet) storage dominates age puerh tea from both the Masterpiece and Seven-son historical period. This is to the extent that the majority of age puerh teas produced between the 1950s to early 2000s have been wet stored. Experiencing the variations of wet storage provides a valuable insight into the characteristics of age puerh tea. Additionally understanding these variations of storage will go a long way towards protecting yourself against the mislabeling of age that is rampant in the puerh tea market.
2) The 3 Ages of Green Puerh Tea (1-5yrs, 10+yrs, 20+yrs)The age journey of tea is fascinating. The aging and transformation of green puerh tea can provide extraordinary results with time. Antique green puerh tea represents the most revered and expensive category of puerh tea. Explore the different stages of green puerh tea at 3 key points of age over a 20 year period. Such a journey can provide invaluable insight into how green puerh tea develops with the passing of time.
3) The 3 Ages of Black Puerh Tea (1-5yrs, 10+yrs, 20+yrs)The result of aging black puerh tea provides soft and more subtle changes when compared to green puerh tea. Black puerh tea is enjoyed for its smooth earthy and Chinese medicinal flavor, softness in the texture of the brew, and grounding effects on the body. These attributes over time and with decades of aging becomes more pronounced and endearing. The unpleasant characteristic from the fermentation process fades with time as the tea becomes cleaner and more refined. The 3 different stages of age over a 20 year period provide an opportunity for tea enthusiasts looking to experience these changes.
The three stages of aging are a very good way of looking at the aging of puerh tea. I have only have tried a handful of 20 year old teas but quite a lot of the others.
Thanks AllanK
The transformation of tea is not unlike the journey of life. It can be captivating and beautiful on one hand, or become disappointing and forgettable on the other.
This is now available for age tea enthusiasts.
20 Year Old Puerh / A History of Different Storage Conditions
http://theguidetopuerhtea.blogspot.com/2017/10/educational-series-20-year-old-puerh.html
All three are somewhat interesting already but one thing that could really help is storage variations – better research and naming could support the pros/cons of different storage conditions. The over-simplicity of dry/wet is really confusing since there are many factors of heat/humidity/air quality that affect storage. For example, XX% humidity at 15oC vs 25oC vs 35oC, purified air vs. unpurified air, airflow, packaging, compression, etc.
It’d be much more interesting to look at major warehousing choices based on real-life situations. This could start to help inform on questions such as ‘are ’controlled’ environment warehouses better than natural environment warehouses?
Thank you Philip. I like that geek in you :) but we must be realistic. At this time in the tea markets no one talks about buying/selling tea with “XX% humidity at 15oC vs 25oC vs 35oC, purified air vs. unpurified air, airflow, packaging, compression, etc.” Business and capital is influenced by supply and demand. If enough people show an interest then I’m sure that spark will become a large enough fire and the market will take notice and react.
This is a start. Being aware and understanding the key difference of the different storage conditions is very empowering. It is a lesson that will increase clarity and bring to light the rampant mislabeling of many age teas out there. I know for a fact that many tea sellers (especially the cheats) would prefer to keep their customers ignorant so that they can continue to sell to the unwary and reap in the profits. Sorry for being so frank.
I remember in the early 2000s – a newly 1 y/o fermented (ripe) puerh tea would and COULD be sold as a 30 y/o green puerh. A lot of people didn’t know any better. I used to be one of them. Knowledge is power.
Yep, you asked for an opinion so I gave one! :P
True, only ten years ago, I knew nothing about Puer tea. I’ve been very lucky to have direct sources for good teas and learn from reputable people. Knowledge is indeed power, and I would like to help people learn more about good Puer tea.
Frank is good – people need to find out about this sort of stuff. Let me know if you ever come to GZ. It’d be cool to meet in person.
I commend you on your good intention towards helping others to learn about tea.
I personally believe there is nothing more real and transparent than to conduct comparative tastings. I find it to be the best way to learn and gain experience for yourself whereby you can set a clear purpose. Hope to see more in the future as it well empower the consumers.
Thank you for the invite and same applies if you ever decide to come to Bangkok.
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