Price Drop Alert Vintage Guangxi Liu Bao Loose Leaf Tea 1992 (ripe/shou) Slash 75% Off The Price [iv6NbMfW]

In 2011, I rediscovered this Liu Bao tea in my warehouse, where it had been aging since I bought it from China in 2001. This tea produced in 1992, initially stored in a 45kg to 60kg bamboo basket. The tea had a robust, earthy, and slightly bitter profile, leading me to withhold it from sale and allow it more time to mature in Vancouver. Over a decade later, during a summer reorganization, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tea had evolved, offering a significantly enhanced flavor. This wonderful find is a testament to the beauty of aging Liu Bao tea, and I'm excited to share this exquisite vintage with fellow tea enthusiasts.

This unique aged Liu Bao tea, characterized by its small, dark leaves and a dense presence of Golden Flower on the surface, brews into a clear, bright tea with a deep black color with gelatinous quality.

Its earthy, woody aroma evidence to its aging in traditional tea cellar and wooden warehouse in the past. The initial infusion has a distinctive betel nut flavor, giving way to a smooth, rich, and full-bodied taste with a creamy texture. The tea imparts a lasting sweetness in the throat, enhancing the flavor and overall sensory experience over time.

Renowned for its relaxing and calming properties, this tea also offers a notable warming effect on the stomach.

*There is another Liu Bao tea cake (no golden flower) also available selling at the store.

Discover Liu Bao Tea

Liu Bao tea originates from Guangxi Province, specifically from Liubao Village in Cangwu County, Wuzhou City. Its history dates back 1500 years, gaining prominence in the 18th century as one of the top 24 famous Chinese teas. Traditionally, it's been marketed primarily to Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asian countries for both daily consumption and medicinal purposes.

As a post-fermented tea, Liu Bao is classified as "hei tea" in China and is known to improve in taste and value with age. A pivotal moment came around 1956 when the Wuzhou Tea Factory advanced the cold-water wet piling process, making it a benchmark for modern fermentation techniques. By 1958, this process was already enhancing Liu Bao tea, a significant 16 years before its application in Pu_erh tea production, earning Liu Bao the title "Father of Shou Pu-erh Tea.

Tea cellar and wooden dry warehouse play a crucial role in developing the traditionally flavor and taste. After completing the wet-piling process, Liu Bao tea is aged in cellar beneath the mountain, providing optimal conditions for microbial activity that enhances the tea. Five months later, the tea is transferred to wooden warehouse made of pine and fir, where it continues to age. The interaction between the tea and the wood infuses the tea with a woody or medicinal fragrance. This two-stage aging process in cellar and wooden warehouse is crucial for developing Liu Bao tea's distinctive "betel nut aroma" over time.

Golden Flower

The Golden Flower, mainly Eurotium cristatum, is a beneficial microbe that emerges during the aging of tea, improving its flavor and texture. Discovered by scientists in the last 30 years, this microorganism has been studied by the Institute of Food Science at Jishou University, which found that it aids in the digestion and absorption of starch and protein while reducing fat absorption. The presence of Golden Flower is highly valued and considered indicative of high-quality, well-aged Liu Bao tea.