Help with ages.

[Scutworker]

I have not been drinking pu erh tea for long, so don't know very much about it. If anybody can help, then I would be grateful.

I have tried pu erh from the 1990's and the drink produced was very dark, and with a deep taste. I have also tried pu erh from 2000 (uncooked) and this was a very light colour (almost like green tea) but with a floral taste.

My question is this: how do you know what type of pu erh is dark, and what is light? Is it to do with the age (and at what age does it produce the dark liquid) or whether it is cooked or uncooked?

Thanks.

[bearsbearsbears]

Is it to do with the age (and at what age does it produce the dark liquid) or whether it is cooked or uncooked?

In a word, yes.

Simplistically:

When young:
Cooked = brownish black leaves brew coffee-colored tea
Uncooked = green leaves brew yellow to light orange tea

When adolescent:
Cooked = brownish black leaves brew coffee-colored tea
Uncooked = greenish-brown to brown leaves brew dark amber to brownish red tea

When old:
Cooked = brownish black leaves brew coffee-colored tea
Uncooked = dark reddish brown leaves brew dark reddish brown tea

This depends, however, on how the pu'er has been stored. Uncooked pu'er stored in highly humidified environments (RH%>~85%, aka "wet stored pu'er") can brew dark brown tea even at as little as 5 years of age, because the humidity has sped along the fermentation. There's no easy way to tell the age of an unmarked tea without tasting enough aged tea of different storages and vintages to make an educated guess.

[Scutworker]

Thanks so much. That has certainly given me a point of reference for when buying
pu erh.

Cheers.