Suppose a tea vendor or processor somewhere in China or Taiwan is going through his storage room and finds a container of tea that has been sitting there for more years than he can remember. Knowing that tea cost him something, and looking to recover that cost, he comes up with an idea: “I’ll call it aged tea, and sell it for a higher price!”
Many people, even tea professionals have no clear understanding of what happens when teas like wulongs are aged. Some believe aged wulongs are a gimmick. Others are convinced time is solely responsible for the changes in oolongs. Others would say it is a matter of relative exposure (or lack of expose) to air, humidity, or roasting.
But there is actual lab research that can shed light on how aged tea changes, and how those changes can create a superior aged wulong.
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