Best time for the ripened (Shou) Pu-erh's consumption

'Bad taste' of a Pu-erh

When a ripened (shou) pu-erh is freshly made, most of the quality is covered by the sense and taste left from their speed fermentation Ou-Dui (渥堆).

Timeline for consumption

 

The first part of a ripened Pu-erh's ageing is therefor to allow the Ou-Dui taste and odour to evaporate. Following is a timeline for their conversion and consumption:

• After 2-3 years most of the Ou-Dui odour would have evaporated
• 3-5 year, the OU-Dui residual taste disappears almost completely
• A ripened Pu-erh would reach its ageing peak at around 10-15 years after production
• Ageing value starts declining after the peak