However, while good tea does not go bad, it can go downhill, losing sweetness, complexity, and antioxidants as the leaves undergo a variety of chemical changes - especially if your tea is left out.

Lighter teas like green tea “expire” the fastest, while black teas and roasted oolongs hold their flavor and quality much longer. Some teas like pu’er are finished in a special way that lets them actually get better with age, like wine.

Before you worry about how long a tea has been in your cupboard, consider how old a tea might be before it even reaches the shelf. Most tea stores do not source teas directly from the farmers growing and making their teas. Instead, teas pass through layers of distributors and importers around the world, and this means teas can easily be over a year old before you even buy them.

On the other hand, teas coming directly from small family farms are more likely to be fresh and flavorful. Direct sourced teas provide clear picking dates, and these teas have a much shorter journey from the farm to your cup. 

In general, your tea should taste great for about one year after it was picked. Different tea styles do have different shelf lives, but if you get a fresh tea and you store it carefully, you can get the most out of your tea while it is still good. 

The first black teas came from Wuyishan, China, and became an overnight hit in Europe thanks to their long shelf life. Black teas are fully oxidized - this gives them a longer shelf life than green tea, as well as sweet and malty flavors. 

Because of oxidation, quality black tea can last for two years, and certain aged black teas can be enjoyed even longer. 

• • Always look for loose leaf black tea with a picking date listed

• • Drink black tea within two years to enjoy their full flavor and aroma

• • Expect aged black tea to take on deep woody flavors

Green oolongs are meant to be enjoyed within one year, while roasted oolongs can generally last for two years. Some oolongs are actually finished with aging in mind and last for decades, getting better, like wine. It all depends on how the tea was crafted.

• • Greener oolongs are aromatic and hyper seasonal. 
    Make sure to choose teas with clearly listed picking dates

• • Most roasted oolongs are allowed to rest for a few months after they are crafted.
    Once release, roasted oolongs last for about two years

• • Aged oolong teas are crafted specifically to last decades.
   Look for aged oolongs with a clear age statement

Pu’er (普洱) - sometimes spelled pu erh or pu-er - was an accidental discovery that proved some teas can actually become even better with age. Pu’er teas do not expire, and both sheng pu’er and shu pu’er are prized for the complexity they can develop over decades.

Interested in aging your own pu’er? Explore our top picks, and follow these tips:

• • Avoid big factory labels that do not disclose their growers and sources
  

• • Look for pu’er from small family workshops and biodiverse plots

• • Good in, good out: pu’er with aging potential should also taste great when it is young

Green tea has the shortest shelf life of all teas. Fresh seasonal green tea is sweet - not bitter - and deeply aromatic. It can last for up to a year but, because green tea does “go bad,” it is best to drink green tea within six months.

• • Look for seasonal green tea that lists both picking date and farmer

• • Drink spring harvest in the spring and autumn harvest in the autumn

• • Use older green tea for cold brew or cooking

White tea is finished to lock in the freshest “tea” flavor possible, and well made white tea lets the natural flavor of the fresh leaves shine for months after picking. For fresher, green flavor, drink white tea within one year of harvest. 

White tea can also be aged and - if properly stored - white tea does not expire. Instead, well-crafted white tea can develop deeply woody and herbaceous flavors over time.

• • For fresh, sweet, floral flavors, drink white tea within a year of picking

• • After a year of aging, white tea becomes darker and more toasty

• • After many years of aging, white tea becomes cooling and spiced

Herbal tea’s shelf life is no different than green tea. Since most herbal teas (also called tisanes) are generally finished through simple drying, they are not ‘heat-fixed’ like black teas. Therefore, herbal teas are best brewed within a year of picking. 

Some tea farmers - like the He Family in Laoshan and the Zhenyuan Dongsa Cooperative in Qianjiazhai -  are applying experimental tea craft to herbal teas. This additional craft extends the shelf life of our partners’ herbal teas. 

• • Look for herbal tisanes that say when they were picked

• • Try herbals from farmers that are applying tea finishing techniques to herbal tea

• • Use stale herbal tea for mixed drinks and cooking

So you’ve found some great teas - congratulations! Now you might be wondering about the best way to store loose leaf tea so that it lasts as long as possible. This part’s easy!

Keep your tea away from light, moisture, and heat. Tea goes bad if it is left out.

Green tea and greener oolong teas are the most delicate and seasonal teas. Proper storage locks in their sweet flavors and aromas. A little effort means better tea for you year-round:

• • Protect tea from air and moisture: Do not let your tea oxidize. Instead, store green tea and greener oolong teas in an airtight container to keep your tea fresh.

• • Protect green teas from light: Do not use glass canisters to store your tea. Light can damage your tea and decrease its shelf life, so choose your material carefully and keep storage containers away from direct sunlight.

• • Protect teas from heat: If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the tea. Heat accelerates chemical changes, so store your tea away from direct heat sources.

• • Enjoy green teas when they are fresh: Drink your most seasonal teas in the season they are picked to get the most out of them. Don’t save them - drink them!

Not all loose leaf teas go bad.

White tea, black tea and roasted oolong tea can last for several years if they are properly stored, and well-made teas can even become deeper and more complex over time. All you need to do is follow the same basic storage guidelines you would with green tea:

• • Moisture is the enemy: Moisture control is very important to aging white tea, black tea and oolong. Keep your teas airtight!

• • Protect teas from light: Glass may be pretty, but if your teas are left in the sun, you will have stale tea!

• • Protect teas from heat and cold: Heat promotes chemical changes and can “overcook” teas, while cold creates conditions for condensation, moisture, and even mold.

• • Enjoy your tea for years: Proper storage means you do not need to worry about your favorite tea going bad.

When thinking about tea shelf life and the best way to store tea, pu’er tea breaks all the rules. Pu’er is made specifically to age for decades, and unlike other teas, pu’er tea is not sensitive to air or controlled moisture. In fact, pu’er tea requires some air flow and ambient humidity to continue aging. 

Properly stored pu’er tea is an investment that yields deep, complex brews over time.

• • Pu’er likes the same weather you do: Keep your pu’er happy with stable room temperature and comfortable humidity. Aim for 65-74 F and about 40%-65% humidity. 

• • Don’t seal your pu’er: Pu’er needs airflow to keep aging and to protect against mold

• • Protect from strong smells: Keep your pu’er away from spices and the kitchen or it will absorb those smells in the air. Linen closets or office drawers work well.

• • Do not drink moldy pu’er: if you notice white mold spots on your pu’er, throw it away. Pu’er stored with too much humidity and condensation can go bad, so avoid storing your pu’er in basements, bathroom closets, or similarly damp environments. 

It’s easy to tell if you have stale tea. Simply open your bag or canister and smell. 

If you cannot smell anything, then the tea is stale. 

All good tea is aromatic. Most of our sense of taste is tied to smell. If the tea has no aroma left, it has no flavor left, and it’s time to shop for fresh tea.

Can you drink expired tea? Of course! 

If the tea was made and stored safely, it is still safe to drink, even if it’s old. 

The best way to use stale tea is to find a recipe that relies more on the tea’s texture as a background note and less on showing off big aromatics.

Our top picks include using the tea in homemade chai, cold brewing big batches of iced tea for summer sipping, or even using the tea in recipes like ochazuke.

Fresh tea is flavorful tea, and freshness starts at the farm. Nothing is more important than knowing when your tea was picked, where it was picked and who picked it. Transparent sourcing and direct partnerships with small family farms guarantees that you start with the best.

Once you’ve found the tea you love, you can keep it fresh by protecting against air, moisture, heat and light. Even more important? Make sure that you drink your seasonal teas in the season they were picked. For aged teas like pu’er, simply start with the best and you won’t be disappointed as the tea keeps getting better over the years.

Our partners’ teas are so good that we keep an office in China just so that we can pack their tea up in airtight bags the moment it is harvested and rush air-ship on a weekly basis.

Want to get to know the award-winning farmers and craftspeople like Huang Ruiguang and He Changke and more? Join our farmer-curated CSA-style Tea of the Month club, or try a tasting kit from one of our partner-farmers.