Investment of Pu'er

Pu‘er tea can generally improve in taste over time (due to natural secondary oxidation and fermentation). Teas that can be aged finely are typically:

1.       Made from high quality material

2.       Processed skillfully

3.       Stored properly over the years

The common misconception is that all types of Pu’er tea will improve in taste -- and therefore get more valuable as an investment item -- as they get older. There are many requisite variables for a Pu’er tea to age beautifully. Further, the cooked (shou) Pu‘er will not evolve as dramatically as the raw (sheng) type will over time from the secondary oxidation and fermentation.

As in wine, only the finely made and properly stored ones will improve and increase in value. And as in wine, the percentage of those that will improve over a long period of time is only a small fraction of what is available in the market today.