Over the last year and a half, Liu Bao has become my favourite subtype of tea and that is why I always go back to it when I need a good tea session. I brewed a 2000 Laoshu Liubao from Characteas and it did not disappoint! It proved to be an interesting tea session and exactly what I’m looking for in Liu Bao.
2000 Laoshu Liubao
The 2000 Laoshu Liubao is a Liu Bao from Wuzhou in China’s Guangxi Province. It’s made from local Qunti Gui Qing material and produced by Wuzhou Tea factory. These are old bushes (laoshu) and were picked in 2000. The leaves were lightly fermented and have been changing naturally for around 20 years.
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Tea Tasting
- 5.2g for a 120ml TianQingNi teapot
- 99°C water
I see small leaves with a dark brown colour. Some stems but the vast majority are leaves. The aroma is perfect for a rainy day as it has notes of dry wood, beetroot and roots in general. It feels really earthy and like a forest.
Infusion 1 (20 sec): even though this is only the first infusion, camphor is already coming through. That’s all I got during the infusion, but it’s all I need. The aftertaste has strong notes of camphor to it and it feels very warming.
Infusion 2 (25 sec): really deep and dark brown colour. Camphor is still present and waltzes through the infusion. It’s also prominent in the finish and aftertaste. The liquor feels thick and I’m also getting hints of beetroot. It’s earthy without tasting like it. Interesting experience but difficult to describe.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): the colour is the same shade of brown. I feel the camphor notes are a bit less intense and it’s shifting more towards fresher flavours of beetroot and other similar root vegetables. Interesting and enjoyable combination and there is still camphor in the aftertaste.
Infusion 4 (40 sec): root vegetables have diminished and camphor has become dominant again. Slightly sweet camphor from start to finish and especially in the aftertaste. The camphor in the aftertaste is really sticking to my throat.
Infusion 5 (50 sec): more camphor and the energy of this tea is insane! Really warming feeling throughout my whole body. The aftertaste is less intense and it doesn’t last as long.
Infusion 6 (long): this is a long one and the colour has become much lighter. Despite the lighter colour, I’m getting a lot of camphor notes. The infusion itself is really enjoyable, but the finish and aftertaste are almost non-existent.
Conclusion
I was very busy today and I just stopped doing what I was doing and sat down for a nice tea session. This 2000 Laoshu Liubao was exactly what I needed.
It was mostly focused on camphor and there were also notes of root vegetables like beetroot. It felt earthy without tasting like it. This was an enjoyable combination that tasted really good. The aftertaste was intense and long-lasting so I definitely recommend this 2000 Laoshu Liubao if you like this type of tea.
If you’re interested in trying this tea, click here.
