Aged & Rested Tea
What is rested tea ?
Rested tea is tea that has been kept in storage for several months to a year or more to mellow any rough edges in the flavor or to allow the tea to become richer and deeper in flavor and character. Rested tea is not the same thing as aged tea, but simply tea that has been put aside to gain positive value from a little maturing.
Many Asian tea connoisseurs prefer to ‘rest’ certain new harvest teas before drinking them, such as some green, white, and oolong teas. A short resting period, if it is deemed appropriate, allows the flavor elements ‘come together’ with more harmonious appeal. Oolong teas progress through a long rested stage before they are considered ‘aged.’
New harvest Japanese green tea powder – matcha – is a good case in point. Many matcha producers blend new matcha with tea from the previous year that has been kept in storage. This is to allow a careful transitioning of flavor from the previous season to the new that will maintain a consistent flavor in the matcha. Additionally, some Chanoyu teachers store new tea until the fall before using it to allow the tea to develop additional richness and character.
What is aged tea?
In Asia, aged tea is relatively easy to find, albeit proportionate in cost to its age. There are no hard and fast rules as to how old tea must be to be considered ‘aged,’ but what we have seen for sale in Asia suggests that tea needs to be 6-10 years of age before it qualifies as ‘aged.’
Aged teas can be 20, 30, 40 and more years of age. These rare beauties must be stored under good preservation conditions so that the tea can rest, change, and become more complex and astonishing in flavor with time.
Do not confuse aged tea with ‘old tea.’ Old tea is just that – tea that is old, past-its-prime, lifeless, flavorless and not worth drinking. Not every tea can age well: oolongs, Pu-erh and black teas, assuming that they are good quality tea to begin with, will age successfully, although the various oolong styles age differently one from another, and require different storage conditions than sheng Pu-erh (discussed below). Yin Zhen, the all-bud white tea ages extremely well and is quite the rage in Asia right now, especially when compressed into a brick as Pu-erh is bricked. However, most loose-leaf, bulky white tea should be drunk within the year of harvest.
Tea for aging is chosen based on qualities that the tea possesses when it is young. Aging tea is about future potential, and the young tea must show signs that it is able to fulfill the promise that it will mature and develop into something even more wonderful. This is similar to the judgements that wine aficionados make when evaluating which young bottles of wine will age best after a decade or so of resting in a wine cellar. Tea that is of poor quality or disappointing in flavor when it is young will not improve with age. There is also a difference between able to ‘keep well’ and ‘age’. Many teas will ‘keep well’ which is to say that they will maintain their current status and not deteriorate; however, ageing implies that the leaf will improve (or at least noticeably change in a positive way) over time. This is quite a different phenomenon.
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Aged & Rested
Aged Bu Lang Shan Shou (Fermented) Pu-erh Beeng Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Aged Bu Lang Shan Shou Pu-erh Beeng Cha
2006 Spring Pluck / Pressed in 2016 (10-years-aged)
approx. 12.8 oz (357 grams) -
Aged & Rested
Bang Dong Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh Tuo Cha
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Bang Dong Village Pu-erh Tuo Cha
2012 Spring Pluck (8-years aged)
Price is for one tuo cha -
Aged & Rested
Da Hong Pao Special Aged Vintage
Oolong Tea
Big Red Robe Special Aged Vintage -
Aged & Rested
Extra-Ferment Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Extra-Ferment Shou Pu-erh
2014 Spring Pluck (4-years aged) -
New Arrival
Fenghuang Dan Cong Bai Táosè Xiang
Oolong Tea
Fenghuang Dan Cong Bai Táosè Xiang
White Peach Single Trunk
2019 Spring Pluck (late April, early May) -
Aged & Rested
Fenghuang Dan Cong Ji Long Kan
Oolong Tea
Fenghuang Dan Cong
Ji Long Kan
2019 Spring Pluck (late April, early May) -
Aged & Rested
Fenghuang Dan Cong Song Zhong
Oolong Tea
Fenghuang Dan Cong
Song Zhong
2019 Spring Pluck (late May, early June) -
Fenghuang Dan Cong Yu Lan Xiang (Magnolia Fragrance)
Oolong Tea
Fenghuang Dan Cong Yu Lan Xiang
(Magnolia Fragrance)
2019 Autumn Pluck (Sept, Oct) -
Aged & Rested
Honeysuckle Mingqian
Black Tea
Honeysuckle Mingqian
2019 Spring Pluck (May) -
New Arrival
Hunan Golden Peony
Black Tea
Hunan Golden Peony
2019 Spring Pluck (May/June) -
2020
Iizuka Yabukita Black
Black Tea / Organic
Yabukita Black
2020 Release
2019 & 2020 Summer Plucks (rested & blended) -
Aged & Rested
JingMai Purple Leaf Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
JingMai Purple Leaf Sheng Pu-erh
2018 Spring Pluck (2-years rested) -
Jolon’s Blend™
Envisioned & blended by Tea Trekker at the request of author Chrysler Szarlan to celebrate her novel ‘The Hawley Book of the Dead.’
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Aged & Rested
Liubao 1st Grade 2012
Hei Cha
Liubao (fermented) 1st Grade
2012 Production
(9-years aged) -
aged & rested
Mao Xie
Oolong Tea
Mao Xie (Hairy Crab)
2018 Autumnal Pluck -
2020 Rested 6 Months
Matcha Premium – Kuradashi
Powdered Green Tea
Matcha Premium – Kuradashi
2020 1st Spring Pluck (Ichibancha)
Limited Seasonal Production
Made with tencha that has been meticulously stored by our Japanese matcha maker from spring harvest until its October milling and release -
Aged & Rested
Naka Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Naka Sheng Pu-erh
2016 Spring Pluck (4-years aged) -
aged & rested
Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark)
Oolong Tea
Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark)
2019 Spring Pluck (late April, early May)– new lot –
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Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark) Highly Roasted
Oolong Tea
Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark)
2018 Spring Pluck (late April, early May)
– Very Low Inventory – -
Aged & Rested
Shui Xian (Water Sprite)
Oolong Tea
Shui Xian ( Water Sprite)
2014 Spring Pluck (late April, early May)
– No Longer Available – -
Aged & Rested
Shui Xian (Water Sprite) from 100+Year-Old Tea Bushes
Oolong Tea
Shui Xian (Water Sprite) from 100+Year-Old Tea Bushes
2019 Spring Pluck (late April, early May) -
Aged & Rested
Shui Xian Mi Xiang ‘Honey Aroma’ from 60-Year-Old Tea Bushes
Oolong Tea
Shui Xian (Water Sprite) Mi Xiang ‘Honey Aroma’
2019 Spring Pluck (late April, early May) -
Aged & Rested
Vintage 1995 Wild Arbor Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Vintage 1995 Wild Arbor Shou Pu-erh
1995 Spring Pluck (23-years aged) -
Aged & Rested
Yunnan JingMai Wild Arbor Tea
Black Tea
Yunnan JingMai Wild Arbor Tea
2018 Spring (May/June) -
Yunnan Sweet Tips of Simao
Black Tea
Yunnan Sweet Tips of Simao
2019 Spring Pluck (March) -
Aged & Rested
Yunnan Wa Tribal Wild Arbor Tea
Black Tea / Organic
Yunnan Wa Tribal Wild Arbor Tea
2018 Spring Pluck (May, June) -
Aged & Rested
Yunnan Yue Guang Bai Hand-Rolled Marbles
White Tea
Yunnan Yue Guang Bai Hand-Rolled Marbles
2016 Spring Pluck (mid-April)
Six wrapped Yue Guang Bai Marbles to a package -
Aged & Rested
AiLao Shan Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Tuo Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
AiLao Shan Pu-erh Tuo Cha
2002 Spring Pluck (14-years aged)
Price is for one tuo cha -
Aged & Rested
Ben Shan
Oolong Tea
Ben Shan
2017 Autumnal Pluck (mid Sept – Oct) -
Aged & Rested
Bing Dao Village Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Bing Dao Village Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
2012 Spring Pluck (4-years aged)
Price is for one mini beeng cha -
Aged & Rested
Boyou JYMT Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Brick
Shou ( fermented) Pu-erh
Boyou JYMY Pu-erh Tea Brick
2010 Spring Pluck (6-years aged)
Price is for 1 brick -
Aged & Rested
Bulang Mt. Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Bulang Mt.Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
2012 Spring Pluck
Price is for one mini beeng cha -
Aged & Rested
Emperor’s Royal Pleasure Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Emperor’s Royal Pleasure Shou Pu-erh
2007 Spring Pluck (11-years aged) -
Aged & Rested
Jingmai Qiao Mu Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh Beeng Cha
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Jingmai Old Tea Tree Sheng Pu-erh Beeng Cha
2011 Spring PluckLIMITED INVENTORY
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Aged & Rested
Lancang Shou (fermented) Mini Fang Zhuan Pu-erh Brick
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Lancang Shou Mini Fang Zhuan Pu-erh Brick
2010 Spring Pluck
Price is for one mini Fang Zhuan brick -
Liming Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh Tuo Cha
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Liming Sheng Pu-erh Tuo Cha -
Aged & Rested
Liubao Large-leaf 2010
Hei Cha
Liubao (fermented) Large-leaf
2010 Production
(6-years aged) -
Aged & Rested
Liubao Mi Zhuan #1710
Hei Cha
Liubao (fermented) Mi Zhuan #1710
2011 Production
(5-years aged) -
Aged & Rested
Liubao Mi Zhuan 2009
Hei Cha
Liubao (fermented) Mi Zhuan
2009 Production
(7-years aged) -
Aged & Rested
Manzhuan Ancient Tree Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Manzhuan Ancient Tree Sheng Pu-erh
2015 Spring Pluck -
Aged & Rested
Menghai Langhe Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Menghai Langhe Shou Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
2008 Spring Pluck / Manufactured in 2009
(10-years aged)
Price is for one mini beeng cha -
Aged & Rested
Mengku Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Mini Tuo Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Mengku Shou Pu-erh Mini Tuo Cha
2011 Spring Pluck (5-years aged)
12-mini tuo chas to a package -
Aged & Rested
Myanmar Kokang Region Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
Sheng (un-fermented) Pu-erh
Myanmar Kokang Region Sheng Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
2006 Spring Pluck (10-years aged)
Price is for one 3.6 oz (100 gr) mini beeng cha -
Aged & Rested
Nan Jian 855 Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Beeng Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Nan Jian 855 Shou Pu-erh Beeng Cha
2007 Spring Pluck (9-years aged)
approx. 14.1 oz (400gr) -
Aged & Rested
Nan Jian Jin Hao 801 Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Tuo Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Nan Jian Jin Hao 801 Shou Pu-erh Tuo Cha
2009 Spring Pluck pressed in 2010 (6-years aged)
Price is for one tuo cha -
Aged & Rested
Phoenix Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Phoenix Shou Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
2009 Spring Pluck (7-years aged)
Price is for one mini beeng cha -
Aged & Rested
Shengpu Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Shengpu Shou Pu-erh Mini Beeng Cha
2011 Spring Pluck (5-years aged)
approx 5.3oz (150gr) -
Aged & Rested
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Rectangle Recipe #7572
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Shou Pu-erh Rectangle Recipe #7572
2001 Spring Pluck (pressed in 2002)
Price is for one brick -
Aged & Rested
Yiwu Tong Qin Hao Shou (fermented) Pu-erh Mi Zhuan
Shou (fermented) Pu-erh
Yiwu Tong Qin Hao Shou Pu-erh Zhuan
approx 8.1 oz (250 grams) -
Aged & Rested
Yunnan Shou (fermented) Xiao Yuan Iron Cake
Shou ( fermented) Pu-erh
Yunnan Xiao Yuan Shou Iron Cake
2010 Spring Pluck (6-years aged)
price is for box containing 4-iron cakes