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| ('In line with traditional Liu Bao, the large brown leaves of this tea have been compressed into bamboo baskets to be aged. Strong aromas of forest undergrowth gracefully fuse with a soft liquor which includes spicy nuances (fennel) and sweet (maple water). A most refreshing tea!' says the website, and I agree.) |
This
Liu Bao is only one of two I have ever had, a nice sample was sent to me by Camellia-Sinensis a few months back. Aaron Peacener, a well-known tea-head really pressed me into trying Liu Bao style tea, and of course having had only two so far I am in no place to make statements about it. I can say there was one I wasn't moved by, and then there was this
one. Lao Cha Po 2006. An amazing black tea experience. From the moment I opened the small sample, many months ago now, (a sample so small it made me feel I was holding a very rare treasure indeed,) until today when my order of two large 50 gram bags arrived, I have been thinking about this tea. My experience with the sample, which I have made last a month by brewing very small amounts has been very positive. The mouth-feel, the vibe, the scent, everything about this tea makes me feel grounded, part of the earth, a bit humbled by my lack of knowledge of its origins and desirous for more. More Liu Bao and more knowledge about Liu Bao. So! This then, is where I am with Liu Bao. I don't know anything, but I am going to learn and now that I have a stash of my own, a
cache, if you will, I will allow myself to indulge and wallow a bit in deeper experiences and try more variations on my brewing parameters and explore it as much as I can experientially which always leads me to some good old-fashioned 'book-learnin'! What little I do know can be summed up here...
It is aged in baskets like this one...
'The open woven basket allows the tea to age with much air exchange. The tea is also caked up in layers which peal off each other as the basket is opened. This big basket aging is the secret of much desired Luo Bao tea originates in Guangxi, China. Liu Boa offers a unique flavor that rivals the best Pu-erh teas. This aged tea is great now and will continue to improve over the years.'
My source, as you can see from the photos is Canadian company
Camellia-Sinensis, where I delight in shopping online. Great products, both tea and tea ware, affordable, classy and every time I get a box from them its like getting a box from Tiffany's, the care, precision of the packing, not to mention a lovely Tiffany-blue tissue-paper makes me feel like an honored client!
Since I like this one so well and the price is so low at $15 for 50 grams, I am super curious as to what
this one would be like, at a whopping $110 for 50 grams! Love to try it and tell you about it, but with that price tag I will stick to this!
It is aged in baskets like this one...
