Until the new national standards were issued in 2021, the statutory shelf life of Yancha was only 18 months, thus aged Yancha was ever considered as expired tea. However, it has always been common sense that freshly processed Yancha is not in its best condition, and that it needs a period, a few weeks for light toasted ones and several months for medium/high toasted ones, to eliminate the unpleasant fire notes. Moreover, tea connoisseurs have always been drinking and appreciating aged Yancha since the ancient times, as Yancha undoubtedly transforms and develops its particular flavors along the aging process, although such transformation is not as radical as Sheng Puerh does.
 
A well-selected option of our aged Yancha series is this 2016 Huang Guan Yin, in which the charm of aged Yancha embodies perfectly, especially when compared with our Huang Guan Yin fresh versions. The magic of aging process has endowed the tea more depth in flavors, turning it smoother in texture and more comforting, but still retaining it energetic. The tasty liquor, with plenty of minerality in it, provides intensity and complexity for our palate. As the typical transformation that occurs during Yancha aging, while the flavor goes smoothening and turns purer, the aroma usually weakens. The iconic orchid like floral flagrance is no longer as penetrating as in the fresh versions, instead, it is expressed in a not aggressive way and more elegant, especially in the lid of Gaiwan. 
 
No doubt this tea is an ideal choice to approach aged Yancha, and comparing it to our fresh Prize-wining Huang Guan Yin will help to comprehend the magic of aging process.