Aged Liu Bao
Liu Bao dark tea aged for a decade or more in woven bamboo baskets. The characteristic betel-nut note associated with the style is generally attributed to the combination of slow airflow through bamboo and long basket contact.
Character
Thick and medicinally sweet with the betel-nut note the style is judged on. It has more in common with aged sheng than with shou.
- Flavour
- Woody, Sweet, Earthy
- Aroma
- Caramelised
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Rich, Silky, Complex
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- betel nut, camphor, old wood, dried date
- Aftertaste
- Deep, medicinal and very long.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Wuzhou
- Oxidation
- Not applicable
- Post-fermentation
- Both
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Wet piling (wo dui) → Basket ageing → Ageing and storage
History
Aged Liu Bao has a market because of the South-East Asian tin trade: baskets shipped to Malaysian and Singaporean mining communities from the nineteenth century were often stored for years before being drunk, and the character that developed became the thing buyers wanted.
Brewing
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
5–7 g/100 ml · 98–100 °C · 6 authored infusions
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 95–100 °C · 1 authored infusion
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Hand-pressed Fu Zhuan
Two fermented dark teas from different provinces and different mechanisms — one cultivated fungus, one long basket ageing.
- Liu Bao
Aged and young Liu Bao. The betel-nut note that defines the style only develops with years of basket ageing, so young Liu Bao disappoints people expecting it.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Lao Cha Tou
Shares 7 descriptors with Aged Liu Bao: sweet, earthy, woody, full bodied, rich, silky and caramelised.
- Aged white tea cake
Shares 6 descriptors with Aged Liu Bao: sweet, woody, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.
- Chen Xiang Tie Guan Yin
Shares 6 descriptors with Aged Liu Bao: sweet, woody, full bodied, rich, complex and caramelised.
- Menghai shou pu-erh
Shares 6 descriptors with Aged Liu Bao: earthy, woody, sweet, full bodied, rich and caramelised.
- Qian Liang Cha
Shares 6 descriptors with Aged Liu Bao: woody, sweet, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.
- Sabaragamuwa tea
Shares 6 descriptors with Aged Liu Bao: sweet, woody, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.