I am slowly progressing through the different Liu Bao teas from Lao Tea Shop and unfortunately, I have already finished the amazing 1999 4 Gold Coins. The weather is really changing and Autumn has arrived in Belgium, which is perfect to drink Liu Bao. For today’s session, I brewed the 2014 Zhong Cha 8310 Lao Cang First Grade Liu Bao.
2014 Zhong Cha 8130 Lao Cang First Grade Liu Bao
As mentioned above, this is one of the many samples I ordered a few weeks/months ago (I can’t remember). The material is from 2014 and was stored in the old storage of Lao Cang tea factory. It was stored in that factory until 2019 when it was showcased at the Malaysian Tea Expo. This was when the tea was taken out of storage and made ready to sell it.
The leaves are export grade and first quality and come from Guangxi Province. The tea was produced by the CNNP tea factory in Wuzhou.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 6g for a 140ml Duanni teapot
The leaves have a uniform dark brown colour. They have a twisted shape and it’s a mix of bigger pieces and small pieces. I also see quite a few stems. The colour is uniform, but the shape is not. The aroma of these leaves is light camphor and some hints of a wooden barrel. It also reminds me of a damp forest floor on an Autumn day. Once the leaves get wet, the forest floor is a lot wetter.
Infusion 1 (20 sec): this one has a light colour and subtle flavours to start the session. I’m getting slight hints of camphor. It feels as if the camphor wants to break through, but it doesn’t have the strength yet.
Infusion 2 (25 sec): the camphor is more intense, but not as intense as I expected. It’s mainly the undertone and aftertaste that have notes of camphor. I’m also getting a mix of wet forest floor and mossy flavours. Definitely an interesting combination!
Infusion 3 (25 sec): no big changes here. I’m still getting flavours of a wet forest floor, but they are a bit edgier and sharper. Camphor is popping up in the finish and in a long-lasting aftertaste.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): I’m still feeling the initial freshness, but it’s not the same as a wet forest floor. It’s a freshness that quickly dies out and changes into creamy camphor towards the finish and especially in the aftertaste. It’s not super creamy; it has some traces of it.
Infusion 5 (35 sec): the freshness has disappeared and there is camphor right from the start. In general, it’s rather subtle and really enjoyable. It feels like an easy-going tea to relax with. The aftertaste is full-on camphor. I feel that the camphor in the aftertaste is more intense than the actual infusion itself.
Infusion 6 (40 sec): the colour seems to be getting a bit lighter. There is subtle camphor at the start that dies out slowly. The aftertaste is not as strong anymore, but it’s still good. The texture is not as thick as during the previous infusions.
Infusion 7 (long): it’s still really enjoyable, especially for a 7th infusion. I’m getting subtle hints of camphor at the start and some hints in the aftertaste.
Infusion 8 (long): only some very light traces of camphor; the leaves are spent now.
Conclusion
This was a really fun session and perfect to start the day. The early infusions had some fresh and edgy flavours, but nothing too intense. The wet forest floor was something I have not experienced that much before.
These elements were good, but the camphor was needed to make it really enjoyable. It was a subtle session, but the flavours and especially the combination of them worked really well. This feels like an ideal tea if you want to sit down with a good book and just relax. Especially after the first three infusions, it’s smooth sailing until the end.
If you want to buy this tea, you can do so over here.
