Puer: Everything You Need to Know About Aging - 1, 3, 5, 10 Years

Puer: everything you need to know about aging — 1, 3, 5, 10 years

Introduction: why talk about aging puer at all?

The word "aging" is associated with fine wine, cognac, or at least cheese that was lucky enough to lie in a cellar under the right lighting. And when it comes to puer, a pattern immediately comes into play: the older, the better, more expensive and more prestigious. But it's not that simple.

Puer is a tea with character. It lives its own life and sometimes behaves unpredictably. Unlike green or black tea, which retain their taste in approximately the same state in which they were packaged, puer is capable of changing over the years. Sometimes it becomes deeper, softer, acquires new notes. And sometimes - alas - it simply turns into a sad pile of dry leaves if it was stored incorrectly.

And here it is important to understand: puer aging is not magic for the sake of magic, but a process in which the tea variety, technology, climate, and even the very cupboard where you forgot it for ten years all play a role.

Myths about puer aging

The first and most common myth: "The older the puer, the better it is." It sounds beautiful, but the truth is that each age has its pros and cons. Sometimes a three-year-old puer tastes better and is more pleasant to drink than a ten- or twenty-year-old one, because it has reached the "sweet spot" of its development.

The second myth: "Shu and sheng age the same way." No. Shu puer aging is more about smoothing out the taste than about radical changes. Sheng puer aging is like a teenager: at first sharp, with a character, but over time it can turn into a real philosopher with a soft voice.

And the third myth: "Aging guarantees quality." Alas, if the puer was initially mediocre, even a hundred years in the cellar will not make a masterpiece out of it.

Shen vs. Shu: how puer aging works

To avoid confusion, let's dot the i's right away.

Shen (raw puer) is a preparation that continues to slowly ferment. Young sheng is sharp, tart, sometimes even "green-grassy". Over time, it softens, opens up, acquires deep woody, fruity or honey notes. With aging, sheng puer can change beyond recognition.

Shu (ready puer) has already undergone artificial fermentation. Its taste is initially softer, earthy, with notes of wood, dried fruits, nuts. With aging, shu puer becomes a little nobler, cleaner, but there will be no radical transformation, like sheng.

Simply put: sheng is dynamics, shu is stability.

How Puer is Aged in China and Around the World

Aging Puer is not just “leaving it on the shelf for years,” but a whole art.

There is a beautiful legend. If a girl was born into a Chinese family, the parents would take a cake or a brick of young, not particularly valuable, Puer and bury it in the ground. When the girl grew up and it was time to marry her off, the Puer was dug up and became a generous dowry for the bride - in 15-18 years the tea matured and acquired high value.
This is probably the reason for the widespread belief that Puer is aged in the ground. Although, there is some truth in this legend - Puer is stored in damp and high humidity conditions.

In China

Traditional aging includes several important points:

Tea cellars (仓库, “tsangku”) are wooden cabinets or special rooms with controlled humidity. Tea “breathes”, but is protected from direct light and foreign odors.

Natural fermentation - sheng is left to mature naturally; shu sometimes undergoes accelerated fermentation and only then matures.

Seasonal ventilation - tea is periodically moved so that fermentation proceeds evenly.

Neighborhood control - pu-erh easily absorbs aromas, so it is not stored near spices or strong-smelling products.

Around the world

Pu-erh lovers outside of China adapt traditional methods to their conditions:

Humidity-controlled tea cabinets and chests of drawers - allow you to maintain optimal conditions: 60-70% humidity and a stable temperature.

Cardboard boxes and paper bags - to “breathe” the tea and protect it from light.

Separate rooms for collections - to minimize the influence of foreign odors.

Checking and ventilation - every few months, the tea is slightly moved or ventilated for uniform maturation.

The main thing is that puer for the collection remains a living product, and not only the taste, but also the potential for proper aging depends on the storage conditions.

1 year old puer — sheng and shu

Shen: fresh, vigorous, sometimes too straightforward. It is often compared to green tea, only with perspective. The taste can be tart, with noticeable bitterness and “grassiness”. This tea is for lovers of bright emotions and experiments.

Shu: ready for use, soft and dark. But fresh shu sometimes gives off “dampness” or the smell of earth after rain. It’s good if you have the patience to wait a couple of years.

3 year old puer — sheng and shu

Shen: changes noticeably. Sharp grassiness goes away, balance appears, fruity or floral shades become softer. The body of the drink is denser, the taste is deeper. For many, this is the ideal age to understand “whether you like sheng at all”.

Shu: becomes cleaner. Residual “cheese” disappears"fishy" or "fishy" notes, the taste is smoothed out. At this age, 3-year-old puer is already easy and pleasant to drink.

5-year-old puer is the golden mean

Shen: that very "golden time". The tea has already matured, it becomes soft, mature, and harmonious. Freshness is preserved, but honey or woody accents are added to it. It is a pleasure to drink.

Shu: the difference with three-year-old is not so noticeable. But the taste becomes deeper, cleaner, sometimes interesting shades appear - dried fruits, nuts, wood.

Puer 10 years and older

Shen: turns into a real gem. The taste is rich, deep, with noble woody, spicy, sometimes even wine notes. But! This is provided that it is stored correctly. Otherwise, you can get a banal "old tea without taste".

Shu: becomes soft, smooth, velvety. But don't expect miracles - there is a difference between ten-year and five-year shu puer aging, but it is not as dramatic as sheng.

How to store puer so that aging is a joy

If you leave puer for beginners on the mezzanine in a bag next to a pack of vanilla and an old woolen scarf, nothing good will come of it. Tea absorbs odors, moisture, dust and the mood of the apartment.

Main rules:

Store in a dry, ventilated place (storage of puer).

Avoid direct sunlight and strong odors.

For large collections - special tea "cabinets" or at least cardboard boxes without plastic.

Do not overdry - puer must "breathe".

Conclusion

So, aging puer is not a race for numbers, but a story about taste and character.

If you want vivid impressions - take young sheng puer aging.

If you want stability and softness, young or medium aged shu puer will do.

For “thoughtful get-togethers,” a five- or ten-year-old sheng is an excellent option.

The main thing is not to believe in the fairy tale that “older always means better.” Sometimes it is a three-year-old puer that brings more pleasure than an expensive old man with a solid passport.

Puer is like a person: with age, he changes, but does not always become wiser.