Today was the day I did another session with one of my favourite Liu Bao teas. I bought 25 g of the 1999 4 Gold Coins Liu Bao from Lao Tea Shop. Unfortunately, I only had around 6-7g left and I wanted to write an article about this tea because it’s so good. I was looking forward to this session all week and I’m happy it finally happened.
1999 4 Gold Coins Liu Bao
The name of this tea suggests it is from 1999, but I was unsure about this because they started packaging this tea in plastic bags in 2005. That’s why I asked the owner of Lao Tea Shop and he happily answered my question. This tea had been stored in Malaysia and is indeed from 1999, but they repackaged this tea into smaller bags. Originally, this tea had been stored in big baskets of around 36-40kg before they put it in smaller 1kg bags to make it easier to sell.
The 4 Gold Coins Liu Bao is a blend of material from Guangxi and from neighbouring countries such as Vietnam. This creates a unique blend that is different from most other Liu Bao teas and makes the 4 Gold Coins Liu Bao one of a kind.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a page on the website with 300 online shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 6g for a 140ml Duanni teapot
The leaves have a uniform dark brown colour and I see medium-sized leaves that have a twisted shape and some stems. The aroma is strong camphor and some creamy and woodsy notes as well. Once the leaves get wet, the creamy notes are becoming more prominent.
Infusion 1 (20 sec): the colour is fairly dark for a first infusion. I’m getting creamy notes of camphor that are clearly at the surface. The creaminess is not that deep, but definitely noteworthy for an initial infusion. I don’t think I’ve had a Liu Bao before with such intense flavours in the first infusion. The camphor pops up in the aftertaste as well, although it doesn’t stay around for long.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the creamy notes of camphor have more body now and the liquor feels really thick. It’s almost as if I’m drinking milk. The finish and aftertaste are full of camphor.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): the liquor is pitch black now. It’s still full-on creamy notes of camphor and such a delicious finish and aftertaste. I’m also picking up some notes of dry wood.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): colour is still really dark and the camphor is still there. However, it’s not as creamy anymore. The camphor flows through the infusion into the aftertaste.
Infusion 5 (35 sec): it has lost some of its body but it’s still very good. It’s dominated by camphor and there are also some slight hints of dry wood. The flavours are not as intense anymore, just like the aftertaste.
Infusion 6 (40 sec): this one has less body and the texture is not as milky anymore. There are light notes of camphor and some hints of dry wood. No real aftertaste and I feel the leaves are fading. I’m still getting some traces of previous infusions.
Infusion 7 (long): the colour is still fairly dark, especially for the 7th infusion of a Liu Bao. Because this was an infusion of a couple of minutes, the camphor is back again, but the aftertaste isn’t.
Infusion 8 (long): this one is all about subtle camphor and it’s still enjoyable to drink. Camphor is also noticeable in the aftertaste.
Conclusion
The 4 Gold Coins Liu Bao is my favourite Liu Bao right now and this session clearly showed why. It’s mellow, creamy and it just flows. At the beginning of the session, it almost felt as if I was drinking milk. If I was stuck on an island and this was the only tea I could drink for the rest of my life, I would not complain and start living the dream.
If you want to buy this amazing tea, you can do so over here.
