How to Identify Ancient Arbor Pu-erh Tea?
It is undeniable that ancient arbor tea is a trend in the Pu-erh tea market. Many people identify ancient arbor tea by looking at the size and thickness of the leaf base, assuming that large and thick leaves are ancient arbor tea. In fact, this is not objective.
The large and thick leaves of Pu-erh tea are not necessarily related to whether it is ancient arbor tea, but rather to the tea variety. Tea trees have large-leaf and small-leaf varieties, as well as thick-leaf and thin-leaf types. You cannot distinguish them solely based on appearance.
The "Six Tastes and Two Natures Tea Identification Method" identifies the tea's internal qualities. As long as you choose a tea with internal qualities, you will definitely choose ancient arbor tea, because only arbor-type ancient arbor tea can have rich internal qualities.
This method is divided into two parts:
- The difference in tea tree growth methods and environment.
- Using the performance of the taste to identify the inclusions of the tea.
- Aroma: One of the most important keys to identification. Ancient arbor tea can obtain deep-soil mineral components and can embody the uniqueness of each mountain top in the best state of rich internal quality, such as the honey aroma and delicate, smooth soup of Yiwu, and the fruity, dense aroma of Nannuo Mountain, with a perfect tea nature that combines strength and softness. The choice of aroma should be a rich and lasting aroma, with a unique aroma, and a stable aroma. The more stable the aroma, the more internal quality, the older the tree.
- Sweetness: This sweetness refers to the direct performance on the tongue after entering the mouth. Do not confuse it with hui gan (returning sweetness), but its sweetness is elegant and clear, often covered by the hui gan. After drinking tea for a certain number of years, you can separate and taste various flavors. New tea drinkers can hardly taste it. Sweetness is also a good place to identify the quality of the tea, but it is not key.
- Tea Soup: Tea soup is the second key to identifying the richness of internal quality. Terrace tea has insufficient internal quality in the tea soup, so it appears yellow-green. The tea soup is thin as water, and it will feel hot in your mouth. You can try this carefully. Ancient arbor tea is full of internal quality. With the same heat, the feeling of burning your mouth is different.
- Hui Gan (Returning Sweetness) and Salivation: Hui Gan and salivation are the basic tastes of tea. Terrace tea shows hui gan and salivation relatively quickly, but the persistence is poor, and it usually starts to weaken after 6 infusions. Ancient arbor tea is more stable and lasting.
- Bitterness and Astringency: Bitterness and astringency are also key to identifying the quality of tea. Bitterness and astringency are the nature of tea, derived from catechins in the tea. They are necessary elements contained in every tea. The different proportions of ingredients and tea-making processes create different tea soup flavors, and the bitterness and astringency of Pu-erh tea basically weaken or disappear after long-term storage.
- Throat Feel: Throat feel is also the third key to identifying the quality of tea. The throat feel is a cool and comfortable feeling formed in the throat. This feeling will make your breathing particularly smooth and comfortable, and it will also form a feeling of hui gan and salivation in the throat, and the aroma will last for a long time. Moreover, this charm will be brought into the mouth with breathing. The longer the throat feel lasts, the more internal quality there is.
- Persistence: Simply put, it refers to the brew endurance of the tea. Brew with boiling water, pour out the soup after 10 seconds for each brew. The taste of the tea changes with the increase in the number of brews. Terrace tea of Yunnan Pu-erh generally starts to weaken after 6 brews, while ancient arbor tea of Pu-erh can last for more than 8-10 brews, and high-quality tea can last for more than 12 brews.
- Stability: The stability of the tea can be obtained through the identification of persistence. The higher the stability of the tea, the more it can prove that the internal quality content of the tea is particularly rich. In the later stage of tea storage, the effect of later aging can be stably obtained, and Pu-erh tea with excellent quality can be stored.
These methods are a comprehensive summary of the experience of the industry and most people and are for reference only. After all, there are too many factors such as the variety, origin, and storage of Pu-erh tea, and there is no absolute standard.