>The Puerh that I tried at Teavana was loose, and very black looking.
>They said that it was aged for 15 years.
>
>Cathy Weeks

I'm not being critical of your merchant's honesty, but it's nearly
impossible to judge how old the tea is just by the looks. It could
possibly have been aged for 15 years, but that would make the price
decently high. The merchant was probably told it was 15 years old,
but how to verify?

There is also a process in which pu'er can be aged quicker by
moistening it and then letting it dry out over and over again to try
and make it appear older than it is. This usually damages the tea
quality and can make it taste horrible. This is why I am so ardently
against purchasing pu'er online; maybe that's a strong statement,
perhaps extremely cautious.

The only way I will buy a tea is if I can try it first or am advised
by someone that knows the particular tea well. I live in the middle
of no where without any access to any teashops, so I have bought
nothing new in a while. heh. Poor me.


Mydnight

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thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.