Grades of Ripe Loose-Leaf Pu'er: Palace, Special Grade, and Grades 1 to 10
When buying ripe loose-leaf pu'er, you'll often see labels like "palace," "Special Grade," "Grade 1," "Grade 5," and "Grade 9." Where do these grades come from? What do the numbers mean? Does a higher grade always taste better?
How the National Standard Grades It
The national pu'er standard GB/T 22111-2008 divides ripe loose-leaf tea into Special Grade, Grade 1, Grade 2... all the way to Grade 10, 11 grades in all. Grading is based on the tenderness and appearance of the raw material: the higher the grade, the more buds and the tighter and finer the strips; the larger the grade number, the coarser, bigger, and sturdier the leaves. The standard sets sensory quality requirements for each grade, describing appearance, aroma, taste, liquor color, and spent leaves, and in practice physical reference samples are also used for comparison.
Only ripe loose-leaf tea is graded. Compressed tea (cakes, bricks, tuo, and so on), raw or ripe, is not graded separately under the standard. For the full contents of the standard, read GB/T 22111, the National Pu'er Standard, Explained.
What Is Palace Pu'er?
"Palace" isn't a grade name in the national standard but a market term, generally referring to ripe loose-leaf pu'er made mainly of fine, tender buds, even finer than Special Grade. The name borrows the imagery of Qing-dynasty tribute tea and sounds prestigious; in reality, Qing court tribute tea came in many forms, including round tea balls, bud tea, and tea paste, and isn't the same thing as today's ripe loose-leaf tea. The story of tribute tea is in Pu'er Tribute Tea in the Qing Dynasty.
"Gift tea" (licha, 禮茶) is a similar nickname used differently by different sellers: some mean high-grade bud tea, while for others it's just the name of a gift-boxed product. When you see these names, go back to the raw material itself: Are there lots of buds? Are the strips fine? Is the aroma clean?
How Do Grades 1, 3, and 5 Differ?
Ripe loose-leaf on the market is often sold in odd-numbered grades: Special Grade, Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 5, Grade 7, and Grade 9. This is common practice in the tea trade. The rough differences are:
| Grade | Raw material | Appearance | How it drinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palace, Special Grade | Mainly fine, tender buds | Tight, fine strips with plenty of golden tips | Fine, silky, sweet and smooth, with a lighter, gentler taste |
| Grades 1–3 | A mix of buds and leaves | Firm strips with some down | Delicate yet with some body |
| Grades 5–7 | Mainly leaves, sturdier | Plump, chunky strips | Full-bodied, noticeably sweet, holds up to many infusions |
| Grades 9–10 | Coarser, larger leaves with stems | Chunky, looser | Mellow, sweet without being cloying, good for simmering |
This is only the general direction; the same grade still varies between factories and years.
Does a Higher Grade Taste Better?
Not necessarily. A higher grade means more tender raw material, not necessarily a better-tasting tea.
- Higher grades with lots of buds: Fine texture and a soft aroma; but the tea trade often says buds are more delicate in wet piling, and if fermentation isn't handled well they can come across as thin, and they don't hold up to as many infusions as leaves.
- Mid-to-lower grades made mainly of leaves: Rich in compounds, with clear sweetness and body after wet piling, holding up well to both infusing and simmering; many seasoned tea drinkers actually prefer them.
The classic ripe recipe number 8592 is based mainly on grade-9 leaf, and plenty of people love its body and sweetness; 7572 is based mainly on grade-7 leaf. Clearly, mid-to-lower grades aren't second-rate, just a different style. For how recipe numbers are coded, read How Recipe Numbers Are Coded.
Why Isn't Compressed Tea Graded?
Compressed tea is usually a blended product: a single cake might have fine bud tea scattered on the surface and sturdier leaves inside, mixing several grades together, which makes it hard to label with a single grade. So the standard only sets shape and quality requirements for compressed tea, with no grading. To find out what went into a cake, the third digit of the recipe number (maihao) is the traditional clue. Compressed and loose-leaf tea are compared in Compressed vs. Loose-Leaf.
How to Choose a Ripe Loose-Leaf Tea
- Look at the dry leaf: Whole strips, glossy reddish-brown color, with more or fewer golden tips depending on grade, and the fewer broken bits the better.
- Smell the aroma: Clean aged, jujube, and sweet notes are good; if the pile taste is strong, leave it in a ventilated place for a while before drinking.
- Look at the liquor color: Deep red and bright, not cloudy.
- Look at the spent leaves: Springy, not blackened or hard.
If you like refined teas, start with Special Grade or Grade 1; if you like body, sweetness, and staying power, try Grade 5 or Grade 7; if you want to simmer a big pot of ripe pu'er, Grades 9 and 10 are affordable and hold up well to simmering. How to brew ripe pu'er is in How to Brew Ripe Pu'er, and judging fermentation depth is in Fermentation Levels in Ripe Pu'er.
FAQ
What does "palace" mean for ripe pu'er? It's the market's name for ripe loose-leaf pu'er made mainly of fine, tender buds, not a national-standard grade; the highest grade in the standard is Special Grade.
How many grades of ripe loose-leaf tea are there? Under GB/T 22111, ripe loose-leaf tea is graded Special Grade and Grades 1 through 10, 11 grades in all.
What determines the grade of ripe pu'er? The tenderness and appearance of the raw material: the more buds and the finer the strips, the higher the grade; the coarser and sturdier the leaves, the larger the grade number.
Does a higher grade taste better? Not necessarily. Higher grades are silky and gentle, while mid-to-lower grades are full, sweet, and long-lasting; it's a difference in style that comes down to personal taste.
Why isn't compressed tea graded? Compressed tea is mostly a blend of raw materials of different grades, so the standard only sets shape and quality requirements and doesn't grade it separately.