I felt today was a good day to try one of the samples Lao Tea Shop sent me several months ago. I picked the 2006 Liming TF Ba Jiao Ting Tuocha to start my day. I picked this one because I had not tasted tea from Liming Tea Factory before. One of the reasons I started this blog was to try a wide variety of teas and that is what I plan on doing with this one.
2006 Liming TF Ba Jiao Ting Tuocha
The 2006 Liming TF Ba Jiao Ting comes in a 250g tuocha and was made in 2006 by Liming Tea Factory. As already mentioned above, I had never heard of this factory so I was curious to try it. The factory has officially been producing tea since 1964, but it was only in 2001 that they started producing puerh tea. Nowadays, this company is highly valued as it has a reputation for being a safe and organic brand.
This 2006 Liming TF Ba Jiao Ting Tuocha is made using organic material from Nannuo mountain. It was pressed into 250g nests and then stored in Guangzhou in relatively high humidity for 10 years.
Tea Tasting
- 6.2g for a 140ml Qing dynasty Neiziwaihong teapot
- Water 99°C
It consists of medium-sized leaves that have a dark brown colour with some brighter buds. The compression was good and easy to pick apart. The aroma has aged notes to it in combination with dry wood, leather and a tiny bit of incense. Once the leaves get wet, fruity notes become noticeable.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): it’s a bit sour at the start, which makes the sides of my tongue water. The infusion itself is subtle but good. It’s mainly fruity with a slight hint of incense. Really curious to see how this one develops.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the colour is darker and it feels really smooth. I’m still getting fruity notes and some incense towards the finish. The aftertaste is slightly fruity.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): it’s a bit sour at the start again. This is nice because it makes my mouth water. I’m also getting some leather notes with a fruity twist. It’s really good, but you have to look for these flavours. This is a subtle and gentle tea.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): I used a bit less water to see if this would make a stronger brew. What caught my eye now is that the liquor is really clear. The flavours are definitely stronger and the fruitiness is more intense. This is a complicated infusion because it’s fruity with a sour twist. The aftertaste has more leather to it and is a tiny bit deeper.
Infusion 5 (40 sec): no big changes in this one as it’s subtle and fruity. The fruit is sweet, but you really have to look for it if you want to experience it.
Infusion 6 (long): I decided to do a long infusion (of several minutes) to see if I could push the leaves a bit more. The fruity notes are popping now, but they don’t stay around for long. There is also a light hint of smoke coming through.
Infusion 7 (long): clear and dark liquor and it’s more or less the same. There is a slight fruitiness with a touch of smoke. Fruits are also coming through in the aftertaste.
Infusion 8 (long): this one was really long and still no bitterness. Fruitiness is very subtle but still noticeable.
Conclusion
The 2006 Liming TF Ba Jiao Ting Tuocha was a really subtle tea. Based on the aroma, I expected it to be a lot more potent. I got a subtle fruitiness in all infusions and this was always in combination with something else. There was an interplay of leather and smoke.
In general, I prefer my teas a bit stronger, but it’s better to have a subtle tea than a tea that is way too intense and in your face. This one feels ideal to drink on a quiet evening before bed because I felt relaxed after the session.
If you want to try the 2006 Liming TF Ba Jiao Ting Tuocha, you can buy it over here.