The ultimate stop for avid tea drinkers: aged Pu'er (Pu-erh) and its mythical 'underground’ market

Have you ever wondered why Pu'er tea, the oldest form of tea and the origin of tea, never came close to the market shares of green and red teas?

This image shows the 7542 Dayi Qi Zi Bing Tea. Source: Pu'er Cha by Deng Shihai and Geng Jianxing p. 54

I think it is because Pu'er requires a lifetime to drink, and most people do not have the time commitment to do so, especially in this fast-paced era. Others might say it is because purchasing a good Pu'er is more challenging than an excellent green or red tea.

But imagine tasting a well-aged Pu'er and loving it. You wonder where to buy it, and the person who offered it to you says, "Oh, I bought it 40 years ago and kept it in my storage. I still have a few cakes left, but I won't be able to repurchase them, so I'm not selling them. The factory that I bought it from is probably nonexistent." 

The truth is, owning this kind of aged Pu'er is an exclusive experience. People who love aged Pu'er will not want to let go of the "real" gem that they have kept for themselves, and people who sell it will only want to profit from aged tea and don't care whether the tea is good if they are not the one drinking it. 

A well-aged pu'er is too niche. If you are not in the aged pu'er elitist club, 99% of the time you will buy fake ones. But suppose you're looking to buy the real deal. In that case, you can either age it yourself, get it from a trusted friend or family member who wants to share their favorite aged tea with you or know somebody from the original tea source who has seen and tasted their teas from their storage before buying them. 

So, if you see anybody selling "aged" Pu'er at a reasonable price, think again. Would you sell your aged tea if you have waited so long to drink it and know it's the naturally aged tea from your storage? Unless it is poorly stored and you want to get rid of it as soon as you find an unsuspecting or gullible buyer.

If you want to buy the famous numbers 8582, 7542, etc., find out the current market price and never buy anything priced much lower. Those teas have the highest fake volume in the market because of their fame, and they are being circulated like fake currencies, too; everybody who bought them is trying to get rid of them, one cake at a time.

Ultimately, the only way to know if it's the real deal is if the seller (assuming you have the right channel and expertise) is willing to double or even triple the selling price to repurchase it from you later on. So, if you're looking for a real aged Pu'er, you need to be willing to invest the time, effort, and money to get it. On top of all that, you need to learn from endless trial and error by tasting all sorts of Pu'er to identify the various characteristics of a premium Pu'er and make your call on which ones to age. You certainly do not want to store a ‘premium grade’ Pu'er to find out 20 years later that it was NOT great in the first place. 

Firstly, buying from trusted historical brands that have been around for generations and have an excellent reputation in the tea industry is one way to avoid spending too much time and money OR buying from a small-to-medium generational tea producer family that will not risk its family business to sell you ‘low’ quality Pu'er for long term relationships. Secondly and most importantly, try to avoid all the 'financial' teas surrounded by legendary stories to 'mark up' their value if your goal is to enjoy a good cup of tea.

Sometimes, I feel like drinking Pu'er is the same kind of commitment one has to give in a long-lasting relationship. Everybody has their taste preferences and definitions of quality. If you have spent enough time getting to know each other, you will accept and enjoy the presence of just ‘being,’ and that is all that matters. 

So, are you ready to join the aged Pu'er tea club? What are your struggles while buying/brewing/drinking Pu'er?

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