Sometimes you just know a tea will be perfect for a particular moment. I had already done a couple of sessions with the Late 90s Wuzhou Three Cranes Big Leaves Liu Bao from Lao Tea Shop and I knew this one is perfect for dreary Autumn days. That is why I chose to drink it today.
Late 90s Wuzhou Three Cranes Big Leaves Liu Bao
This particular Liu Bao is from the second part of the 90s and had been stored in large 30kg baskets in Malaysia before Lao Tea Shop acquired it. As is the case with (nearly) all Liu Bao tea, it comes from Guangxi province in China.
It was released under the ‘Three Cranes’ brand by Wuzhou Tea Factory. The Three Cranes brand has existed for a long time and is considered really trustworthy when it comes to quality.
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Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 6g for a 140ml Duanni teapot
The leaves have a deep and dark brown colour. It really looks like the perfect tea to drink on an Autumn day. It consists of really big leaves, hence its name. There is a subtle aroma of camphor with hints of dry wood and sawdust. It’s almost like walking through a sawmill. Once the leaves get wet, I’m also getting something sweet and creamy.
Infusion 1 (20 sec): the colour looks like hong cha, so I guess the flavours won’t be too intense. There are pleasant camphor notes right at the start. These die out slowly and it gets slightly sweet in the finish.
Infusion 2 (25 sec): the colour is darker now. During this infusion, my ears start to feel really warm. The initial flavour is still camphor, but it’s a bit more intense than during the previous infusion. This camphor flows through the infusion towards a slightly creamy finish, into an aftertaste full of camphor.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): the colour is a bit darker again, but it’s not becoming pitch-black. The flavour profile is full-on camphor. It’s deep, full-bodied with a very nice finish and strong aftertaste. Fantastic flavours and relaxing tea.
Infusion 4 (35): no big changes here. It’s full-on camphor with a nice texture and body. The aftertaste is also camphor and I’m picking up some hints of dry wood.
Infusion 5 (45 sec): it’s still full-bodied, but the camphor is fading a tiny bit. However, it’s still solid for a 5th infusion.
Infusion 6 (long): I’m definitely enjoying this tea. It’s still a really relaxing and warming tea full of camphor.
Infusion 7 (long): doing these longer infusions helps to bring out the final notes of camphor. Camphor is still present, but it’s starting to lose its texture.
Conclusion
This tea is all about camphor! Every infusion was full of camphor without anything else. This was not really necessary as I didn’t feel I was missing something. I felt very relaxed during the session and it was a warming tea. It started with my ears feeling hot and it gradually spread throughout my whole body. It’s an impressive tea and perfect for a rainy Autumn day.
If you want to buy this one, click here.
