How Long Should You Store Your Pu erh?

     

    

I recently opened a 1996 Dayi shou brick and had a tea session of the tea 2 weeks after I had broke up the tea brick. 

An almost 30 year old tea. It was no surprise that the tea was smooth, mellow with a light sweetness in the aftertaste. 

The question now is whether the tea will age further with further storage. Chan Kam Pong, a famous Chinese tea writer felt that pu erh will reach a 'climax' in terms of taste and aroma around 40 years of storage.   

I have very little experience drinking such tea. I only got these special treats when my collector friends brewed their old tea. I had mainly got to drink early 90s tea so far.  I actually found that such tea was much smoother and a few were lighter in taste and aroma than I had hoped. These tea were smooth and mellow.  Very enjoyable. 

Storage of pu erh tea to me is......actually controlled decomposition.  How the pu erh age or decompose is subjected to temperature and humidity,, which the tea collector can control.  Collectors in  temperate countries may use a pumidor to maintain temperature and humidity.  I store my tea in an empty bedroom (used to be 2 rooms). I closed the windows and draw the curtains in the room and left my tea to age with no fuss and bother.  I stay in Singapore, a hot and humid country. I do not expose my tea directly to the climate. I store my tea in a clean and dry room where the weather outside is hot and humid.  The room's humidity and temperature  is relatively constant all year round. 

I agree with Mr Chan that there is a peak storage time for pu erh tea. Yes, the tea will continue to age with more time in storage but the taste and aroma might peaked or be more ideal (a subjective conclusion) around the 40 year mark, give or take, based on our climate here. 

Time for a cup of tea.