The Case For Drinking Older Pu erh

The famous fairy tale of Aladdin is a well beloved story that even movie adaptation of this story can be a money making business even to this day.  We can fondly remember the royal sorcerer tricking Aladdin's wife with the 'new lamps for old' exchange so that the sorcerer (the baddie) can get his hands to own the genie that resided in that old lamp.  

Older pu erh is like an old lamp that has a genie inside.  This genie inside your older pu erh is called complexity.  There is complexity in older puerh that is not found in newer pu.  This complexity is made up of a combination of taste and aroma that is only present with 'time in storage'.  The pu erh must had been stored away for a certain period and in a climate that will aged the pu erh.  In my opinion, about 8-10 years for raw pu erh and 6-8 years for ripe pu erh.  The tea when stored away, will age to a smooth, sweet and mellow cup of tea.  You can actually taste the difference between a newly pressed pu and an old pu.  

Another reason you may consider buying older pu erh is the price.  Yes, older pu are and should be more expensive than newer made ones.  But if you looked harder, you can actually can buy a decent older cake that is comparable in price to a new tea now available.  The 1st pix shows a 2007 Xiaguan.  This 12 year old tea can still be purchased for about $80 (I found several online and teashops that sells this tea for under $80 as I post this blog).  For this price , you are not only paying for the tea, you are also paying for the 12 years of storage.  New pu erh can be expensive.  This would be due to the higher cost of production (salaries, rent, warehousing).  I have seen a couple of anomalies where a previous year's production is cheaper than a current year's pu erh tea.  If you are a tea drinker and wished to age some tea yourself, may I humbly suggest buying a slightly older tea (3-5 years old) that will already give you a head start in your storage adventures.  Storing away a 10 year old tea for another 10 years.....you will get a 20 year old tea for your efforts.  

Thats my 2 cents worth.  Time to watch Aladdin.  Its a whole new world out there! 

Fukien Tea Shop High Roast Tie Guan Yin - A Happy Anomoly

When it comes to high fired or roasted oolong, many Chinese tea drinkers would like to drink older and aged versions of these tea.  Such oolongs with some age in them are highly prized and can be quite expensive as well.  The high firing tea, after aging, would be more subdued and the aroma and taste of the oolong would become more smooth and mellow.  

There is a anomoly - The Fukien teashop Tie Kuan Yin

Fukien teashop in Hong Kong produces and sell a high roast oolong.  The roast levels are very high of about 40 hours of roasting over 2-3 days.  The result - a high roasted but sweet caramel finish.  This very popular tea has gained fans from Korea and Japan that a few of these loyal customers would patiently stand outside the shop in the mornings waiting for the doors to open (10am).

I had a tea drinker friend that had purchased this oolong and found out to her dismay that the tea lost its flavours and became 'flat' and mellow after the tea was opened and kept for a year.  

I was in Hong Kong last week and bought out this concern to Mr Yeo, the proprietor of Fukien Tea.  He explained that the high roasted oolong would mellow out after one year and the 'roastiness' of the tea would decrease after a year.  Mr Yeo explained that this tea was produced to be enjoyed for its high roast and this tea should be consumed within 1 year.  This tea is not designed for aging.  

A loyal customer myself, I buy the tea for the roast and the aromatic caramel results of this roast.  This appreciation of this tea is different when compared to the traditional high roasted oolong where it is more desirable to age the tea to reduce 'high fire' oolong to a more mellow and smoother finish.   

I buy my tea from Fukien about 3 times a year in small quantities and will continue to do in years to come.  

A happy anomoly.  Time for tea.