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“Second time with this tea. The first time I had it, I didn’t really “get” this tea. But a second try has revealed its redeeming qualities. Loving the aroma on the lid of the gaiwan for starters,...” Read full tasting note
“This is smooth and has a flavour that isn’t like shou, which I had difficulty placing. It isn’t exactly bitter and smells ‘hotter’ than shou. Another review said nutmeg – that might be it. Some...” Read full tasting note
Living in Malaysia and hunting around in the tea market here, we drink a lot of Liu Bao. Each batch of Liu Bao can be very different & shops here often repackage specific batches and sell them under their own brand. So far, we’ve adopted the approach of very basic labelling of the name, factory and age of each tea. This tea was enough to make me rethink that approach & I’m pleased to present our very first EoT Liu Bao.
I can hands down say that this is the most extraordinary liu bao from the past couple of decades that I’ve come across. I have very little information about it. From drinking, I’d say it’s around 5-10 years old. The 45kg baskets are marked with the brand of a big factory, but it’s very different from their productions and basket style. Perhaps this was a small production from farmers that was later rebranded by the factory for export or resale. It appears to have been processed in the very traditional (pre-1958) method of repeated steaming, rolling and frying before being fermented in the basket. This gives a very vibrant tea with none of the fermentation flavour common in liu bao and shu puerh.
When drinking the tea is active and lively in the mouth, there’s a hint of camphor flavour, a very very long aftertaste and lots of salivation. As an introduction to Liu Bao, a daily drinker for seasoned tea connoisseurs or just a pleasant drink I can highly recommend this tea.
This tea is sold either in sample sizes (>30g) or in 100g packs
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Second time with this tea. The first time I had it, I didn’t really “get” this tea. But a second try has revealed its redeeming qualities. Loving the aroma on the lid of the gaiwan for starters, old tobacco and old rooms, filled with grandparents and comfort. The flavor and body are still perplexing to me, they’re so much lighter than my other liu bao experience, centered on a distinct and enjoyable candied pumpkin, but not much spice or fermentation, or seemingly depth or thickness. Likewise for the finish, nothing exceptional. But the feeling is fantastic, a giddy, calm joy, quite calming and settling, almost to the point of sleepiness, but not. Sometimes heavy qi teas make me feel very disoriented and disconnected, but this one feels light, clear, yet relaxed and happy.
Flavors: Candy, Pumpkin, Tobacco, Wood
This is smooth and has a flavour that isn’t like shou, which I had difficulty placing. It isn’t exactly bitter and smells ‘hotter’ than shou. Another review said nutmeg – that might be it. Some spice that is not spicy. It has some mouth-tingling feel.
I also found this a very sleepy tea – I kept dozing off when drinking it.
