Five tips on how to distinguish old Puer

1. Outer packaging

For older tea that is more than several decades old, the packaging will show signs of aging.

In addition, some brands of old tea have their own packaging features, which are manifested in small differences in materials. Also, the same brand may use different packaging in different periods. For example, the 8582 tea cakes from the Menghai factory, released from the mid-1980s to 1992, used thick cotton paper, while the 7542 and 7572 cakes, released from 1990 to 1994, used fine hand-made paper. These details can serve as reference points for determining the year of production of old tea.

Inner Label (Neifei)

Likewise, the inner labels (neifei) of old teas from different brands and periods may have slight differences. For example, the early 7572 cakes from Menghai had less clear printing on the inner label and a paler red ink. At the same time, some 73 Qing and early 8582 cakes had brighter red ink and slightly different fonts. These subtle details can also help in identifying the authenticity of old teas, but this requires a good knowledge of history.

2. Appearance

Old tea stored for over twenty years will have looser leaves, but not all loose cakes are old tea, they may not have been pressed tightly to begin with. Old tea stored in dry storage for over twenty years will have dark brown leaves of raw sheng puer. If the tea was stored in damp storage, it will most likely turn black. Shu puer will have dark brown leaves, and due to evaporation of moisture, they will become very dry. Thus, the appearance of the tea cake can also serve as an additional criterion for determining age.

3. Taste

Determining the taste of old tea requires a deep knowledge of pu-erh and a lot of experience in tea drinking. It is necessary to understand the different taste characteristics of pu-erh and how they change at different stages of storage. Therefore, this criterion can be difficult for beginner tea drinkers.

As for raw tea ( sheng pu'er ), after twenty years of storage it becomes soft, smooth and rich, without any bitterness or irritation. It becomes sweet and very comfortable to drink. Mature tea ( shu pu'er ) after twenty years of storage becomes very sweet, without the slightest bitterness, with good density and softness. If the tea has been artificially aged, its density and purity of taste will be significantly lower.

4. Aroma

Aroma is one of the most important criteria for identifying old tea. Old raw tea, stored in dry storage for more than twenty years, when inhaling the aroma of dry cake, has a pleasant sweet smell, clean and fresh, without foreign impurities. There may be a slight smell of storage, but this is not mold, and it disappears after a few days, leaving behind the pure aroma of old tea.

Old tea from dry storage becomes more aromatic with age. When drinking, its aroma gradually opens up, creating a pleasant aftertaste. If the tea has been artificially aged, then when opening the package, a sharp moldy smell may be felt. Even if the tea was stored in a humid storage and then transferred to a dry one, it will still have a slight moldy smell, which cannot be completely eliminated.

The aroma of old tea changes over time due to the transformation of its internal substances. Teas over twenty years old may develop aromas such as ginseng, medicinal herbs, camphor, dates or glutinous rice. These aromas intertwine with the classic aroma of old tea, creating a unique harmony.

5. Color of the present

In the old tea, which has been stored in natural conditions in Kunming for more than twenty years, the infusion of raw tea ( sheng pu'er ) becomes orange-yellow with a slight reddish tint, transparent and shiny. In the mature tea ( shu pu'er ), the infusion becomes dark red, like wine, but compared with new tea, it is purer and more transparent, like a ruby, with a pure aroma of old tea.

Identifying an old tea may seem simple, but without a deep knowledge of pu-erh and a lot of experience in tea drinking, these simple truths may not be obvious. Ultimately, only by tasting the tea can you understand how good it is, and you should not blindly trust the mysterious statements of some "gurus". It is important to taste the tea yourself - only then can you understand its true quality.