How Long Does Pu-erh Tea Last?

Short answer: dry pu-erh does not expire if it is stored well. Kept away from damp, heat, light and strong smells, raw pu-erh keeps changing for decades, and ripe pu-erh grows smoother and mellower over the first few years. What spoils pu-erh is poor storage, mainly moisture and mold. Brewed tea is different: drink it the same day.

Raw and Ripe Pu-erh Age Differently

Pu-erh is a tea from Yunnan, China, made from large-leaf tea and usually pressed into cakes, bricks or small bowl-shaped tuocha. It comes in two types:

• Raw (sheng) is pressed from sun-dried leaf and changes slowly over years and decades.
• Ripe (shou) is pile-fermented (wo dui, about 45–60 days) before pressing. It is ready to drink when made and mellows further over the first few years, then changes more slowly.

Either way, a well-stored cake stays good to drink for many years. How it tastes along the way depends on the leaf and the storage.

What Affects How Long Pu-erh Lasts

Tea Quality and Processing

Well-made tea from good leaf ages best. Plump and sturdy leaves, clean processing and proper drying give a cake that changes slowly and stays clean. Poorly processed or damp tea is more likely to go flat or musty. See our guide to judging pu-erh quality.

Packaging

Keep cakes in their original paper wrappers. Paper and bamboo let in a little air while protecting the tea. Avoid plastic or foil for long-term aging, since they trap moisture and smells. After breaking off a piece, wrap the cake back up.

How to Store Pu-erh

• Temperature: about 20–25°C (68–77°F), as steady as possible. Keep it away from heaters and sunny walls.
• Humidity: 60–70% relative humidity. Too damp risks mold; too dry slows aging and can leave the tea flat.
• Light: keep it dark. Direct sun heats and dries the tea.
• Smells: pu-erh absorbs odors easily. Keep it away from kitchens, spices, perfume and cleaning products, and keep young raw tea apart from strongly scented teas.
• Airflow: a little gentle air movement; no stale, closed cupboards full of smells.
• Containers: paper wrappers, a cardboard box, bamboo, or unglazed clay jars. Keep the tea off the floor.
• Not for aging: the fridge, plastic bags and airtight containers. A sealed tin is fine for the small portion you are drinking now.

For more detail, read how to store pu-erh tea, or try 10 steps to start aging pu-erh at home.

Signs of Aging

Aging is not spoilage. With good storage, raw pu-erh changes in a few clear ways:

• Taste: bitterness and astringency soften, and the liquor becomes smoother and more mellow.
• Liquor color: it moves from yellow or pale yellow toward orange-yellow and then orange-red.
• Aroma: the fresh, high aroma of young tea gives way to an aged aroma.
• Leaf: the dry leaf darkens and the cake may loosen slightly.

Here is a rough guide to how raw pu-erh tends to taste as it ages. Every tea and every storage is different, so read it as a rough guide, not a promise:

Aged pu-erh can cost more, but prices vary widely and are not guaranteed to rise. We suggest keeping tea to drink, not as an investment. To learn more, read how time changes pu-erh, and for the words we use, see our tasting vocabulary.

Signs of Spoilage

If you see mold or smell mustiness, don't drink the tea. Check your stored tea every few months so you catch any problem early.

How Long Brewed Pu-erh Lasts

Keep it simple:

• Hot-brewed tea: drink it within the day. Don't leave brewed tea or wet leaves sitting overnight.
• Cold brew or leftover tea: keep it covered in the refrigerator and drink it within a couple of days.
• If brewed tea smells sour or looks cloudy, throw it out.

Clean teaware helps brewed tea stay fresh. For brewing, see how to brew pu-erh gongfu style.

Looking for tea that already has some age? Browse our aged pu-erh collection.

This article is general information about tea, not medical advice. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, please talk to your doctor before changing what you drink.