Malaysian stored 2003 and 2018 Liu Bao comparison

Hilltown Jin Hua version left, in all photos

I'm trying two more Liu Bao from a Malaysian vendor, Legend of Tea.  The last experience with another Liu Bao version was great, one of the best versions I've tried.  I would expect more of the same, that these will be really nice.  They're this:

Jin Hua Liu Bao (2018, $16 for 100 grams)

Jinhua Liu Bao tea features small golden particles on the surface of the tea leaves, known as "Jinhua (golden flowers)." These golden flowers are a hallmark of high-quality Liu Bao tea. Their presence indicates beneficial microbial activity during the tea's aging process. The enzymes secreted by these microbes accelerate the transformation of substances in the tea, enhancing its flavour and enriching it with health-benefiting compounds. Jinhua has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, boosts immunity, and promotes cardiovascular health.

Jinhua Liu Bao tea has black-brown, tightly rolled leaves. The brewed tea is a rich, bright red colour, with a mellow, sweet taste and a pure aroma that combines floral and aged notes. The tea leaves are uniformly soft and moist, showing vitality and a deep, vibrant colour.

Aged Bing Lang Xiang 032 Liu Bao (from 2003; the page doesn't have a 100 gram option, so it's $63.40 for 250 grams, $25 for 100 grams when sold at that higher volume pricing)

Aged Bing Lang Xiang 032 is made using the traditional "double steamed, double pressed" method and aged for years in a clean cellar, resulting in its unique betel nut flavour. Its vibrant blackish brown colour tea leaves are plump, even and supple. The radiant dark red tea liquor envelopes a rich "chenyun" taste, along with a delightful interplay of thickness, strength, and sweetness that lingers long after each sip.

It is a harmonious blend, where the betelnut aroma is enticing, while the smooth, fresh sweetness fills your moth. The enchanting aftertaste, refreshingly enduring, will leave you yearning for another blissful moment with this extraordinary Liubao tea.

I can never do much with flagging a betel nut flavor / aroma (what Bing Lang translates to, with Xiang meaning flavor or aroma), because I'm not familiar with that.  I also can't place the "double steamed, double pressed" processing method.

It's interesting hearing of those differences in relation to the aspect and character differences, described following, which I wrote out prior to reading these descriptions.

Review:

#1, 2018 Jin Hua version:  this is a lot lighter in brewed liquid appearance, for what that's worth.  For tasting these blind I don't know what that means.  It could be a younger tea, or the other may be fermented more during processing (through a wet piling type of step).

This is heavy on mineral.  I'm drinking the first infusion, with no rinse, or at least the review starts there.  More people would rinse Liu Bao than wouldn't, I think, at least in "Western tea circles."  The review would just start at infusion two, in such a case.  

The mineral is that slate mineral that's common in Liu Bao.  The other flavor range is also present, some pine, sweetness that could emerge as dried fruit later, and medicinal root sort of flavor, ginseng.  It's pretty clean, but I think mineral range will probably drop back from here, and the rest will balance better.  That's the equivalent of sheng pu'er being more approachable after the first round or two, just related to different aspects.

I may be picking up more preference for Liu Bao, from these tastings.  It helps that lots of these have been exceptional versions (although I'm on the 4th and 5th from two different vendors, so it's not that much of them).  I've been drinking Fu hei cha style teas as well.

#2, 2003 Bing Lang Xiang:  so different!  The flavor is much warmer and heavier, not a complete surprise given the color difference.  So is this a much older tea version, or is it fermented more by processing?  It could be both.  It would be surprising if additional processing fermentation wasn't an input, but with 25 to 30 years of aging maybe Liu Bao could shift to heavier, warmer tones.  Or maybe 20, in Malaysia, in a naturally hot and humid environment.  Like here, in Bangkok; it's 30 C / 90 F in the rainy season now.

This tea is complex as well; I'll add more of a flavor list next round.

still a lot of brewed tea color difference, even with both brewed quickly

#1 (2018), second infusion:  even more complex.  Heavier slate mineral is still present, but the drier side of that softened and deepened, and the rest balances better.  This is really nice.  It balances the standard complex flavor range (mineral, pine, ginseng, some dried fruit).  Warm, heavy tones are pleasant.  It doesn't remind me of shou pu'er range, not that earthy and heavy, but it's a little towards that, along the line of fallen timber, which would smell like curing tree bark.  [later edit:  I missed betel nut.  Maybe it tasted a lot like that, I wouldn't really know.]

Sweetness is good, feel is nice and thick, and aftertaste is pronounced.  This might evolve a little for one more round, to balance even better, but it's already there now.  Slate mineral might be a bit much for someone not on that page, but to me it's pretty much as it should be.

#2, (2003):  that changed even more; the list from last round and this one might be slightly different.  A little char emerges, like charcoal.  That wasn't present last round, that I noticed.  A heavy, inky mineral flavor range picked up as well, only partly related to that.  Sweetness is good, balancing that.  Pine is part of the flavor range, and maybe a little ginseng, it's just not as pronounced as in the other version.  Rich feel is nice, and flavor depth.

#1, third infusion:  an aspect towards smoke or char is picking up in this; that's interesting.  I really would have expected that to be present earlier on, if it was going to show up.  It's on even ground, the same intensity, as that other range that had been present.  It links nicely with the slate mineral, and being supported or balanced by the ginseng / herb and limited fruit range is nice.

#2:  not changing so much.  These are actually much closer in character than they've been, related to the shift in the other version.  This is smoother and deeper, not matching as much slate mineral as the other expresses.  The rest kind of comes together.

#1, fourth infusion:  this will probably be it for notes, since per usual I have other things to get to.  That mineral note is all the stronger; interesting.  It's moving off charcoal, onto being complex, again with plenty of slate.  If someone was averse to this general range they might see this as tasting like a cigarette butt, but for me it's more slate mineral with some charcoal.  

#2:  a new catchy aspect entered in.  Like root beer?  It might also relate to fruit, but to me that new range is centered on root spice more instead.  These both might have a couple of interesting infusions to go.  But I really need to suspend this tasting for now, and I'm not great at picking it all back up in a later second session.  

My wife will go back to Honolulu before too long and I need to go do some clothes shopping for the kids, to fulfill some orders they've placed (for extra pants, and at least one more bucket hat for Kalani).

Conclusions:

I did try more rounds of these, just without taking notes.  They were more similar than they'd been for the first few rounds, maybe with a little more richness, depth, and complexity in the second version.  But they were similar enough that I think people not really dialed in to specific preferences related to Liu Bao might see them as in the same general range.

Considering how I place them later, in reference to my own preferences, earlier on I would've strongly preferred the second version.  It seemed richer, with more complexity and depth, and was going through some interesting transition in later rounds.  But I've come to be able to appreciate what I take to be standard Liu Bao range more.  

The first version is "only" 7 years old, with aging and transition perhaps speeded up a bit by contact with golden flowers (jinhua fungus, which sometimes goes by a scientific name in Western based tea descriptions,  Eurotium Cristatum).  Maybe I'm more open to this style related to recently trying versions of hei cha exposed to this from a different vendor source, Oriental Leaf, in the latest examples as two kind of unusual hybrid hei cha forms.  

This first version did express a slightly more challenging form initially, with heavier slate mineral dominating the flavor profile, but it softened a few rounds in, gaining complexity and better balance.  The second was rich and deep in warm mineral and other flavors from the start, just transitioning to other aspect scope after those few rounds instead.

I suppose I did like the second version more, but there wasn't that much difference.  If value was a main factor buying a good bit of first would lead to a similar positive experience.  But then again that extra depth was nice.  I'm not sure about "will leave you yearning for another blissful moment with this extraordinary Liubao tea" but it did seem to highlight what is most pleasant about higher quality Liu Bao, in versions that are better than one might normally run across.  It's probably also the case that if you buy 22 year old Liu Bao that's been stored in Kunming it would need another decade to fermentation transition to this level.

Not intending to "pick on" Yunnan Sourcing, probably the main Western vendor outlet for pu'er and hei cha, but let's check on the version in the top of their Liu Bao listings that is closest to this in age:

2002 Aged Wild Liu Bao Tea "803" from Guangxi ($69 for 250 grams)

Small artisan produced Wild Liu Bao grown in a remote part of Wuzhou County in Guangxi Province. Expertly processed and then stored for almost 15 years in Guangxi. This tea has been re-packed 500 grams per bamboo basket. The basket is numbered 803.

The tea itself has some camphor, vanilla, and betel notes. The large leaf with stems makes for an interesting and unique aged Liu Bao experience. Highly recommended for those who want to try something aged and unique.

That costs $5.60 cents more, is one year older, and probably hasn't fermentation transitioned as much (given the storage location difference), although spending 15 of those years in slightly more humid Guangxi would help keep it from being as "well preserved."  

it's hard to place the color differences, large leaves, and stem content in the YS version

these leaves are darker (probably good), and more chopped (maybe not as positive)

It could be not nearly as good as these, or perhaps even better; you can't really tell from vendor descriptions, or even customer comments.  Most Yunnan Sourcing comments were about people loving that version, with one guy saying "Good, I drank better but this is quality good."  Per lots of hearsay input Yunnan Sourcing would almost certainly remove any negative comments or low ratings on that site, so it's hard to place what may have been commented but isn't there now.  

I take all this to mean that 20+ year old, exceptional quality options are out there, and $60+ for 250 grams could be a standard market range.  It would be interesting to see how they compare directly.  This "Hilltown" version is among the best Liu Bao I've ever tried, a full quality level beyond what I've tried in the past, other than those two recent versions.  But who knows what that means; maybe I've only tried ordinary versions before that.  I've tried a few from Yunnan Sourcing in the past, probably reviewed 8 or so years ago now, but I probably bought more mid-range, value oriented versions, and of course I can't clearly compare across that kind of time-span.  

Those teas more or less led to me not exploring Liu Bao much more (although I've drank a half a kilogram since, since a friend in Malaysia sent me a good bit of it), but I think for some tea types it takes a critical mass of exploration to really "get it."  I drank sheng pu'er on and off for years before taking it up as a favorite type.  Fu zhuan / Fu brick hei cha I liked more right away, but it can be pleasant and approachable while giving up some complexity, depth, and refinement to teas like these two.  And it seems to help to sort through versions for that, to try a few to get to styles that work best for you.  Once you do experience value in relation to cost can be really positive.

I plan to retry a couple of Fu hei cha style versions from Legend of Tea, essentially the same that I've tried before.  It should be interesting placing them again after all of this recent--in the past 3 months--exposure to varying hei cha versions.

2022 Tea China Liu Bao compared with a 2004 Legend of Tea version

Tea China version right, in all photos (both are so dark, right?)

I'm reviewing a Tea China Liu Bao tea, from a set that I've already tried a 7542 from (Dayi sheng pu'er).  Of course the 7542 was pretty much what I expected, except for it seeming to pick up a bit of smoke somehow.  I should add that this tea was a sample sent for review; many thanks for that.

This version I'm using for comparison, from Legend of Tea, I've reviewed before, a "Hilltown Tea" producer version, reviewed here.  It's quite good, so this isn't supposed to be an easy challenge, for the other to compare well to it.  There are other Liu Bao versions in the Legend of Tea set I haven't got to yet; I've fallen a bit behind in reviews.

The earlier Tea China information was a little limited, but then for it being Dayi 7542 it didn't need that much introduction.  This is what this tea is:

2022,GuYun01 Aroma Aged Liubao Tea

This sells for around $20 for 100 grams, or $30 for 200 grams.  It seems better to bump volume, given that discount rate.  20 cents a gram is a bit for Liu Bao (with pricing always varying along with quality and availability), and 15 cents a gram naturally sounds better.  Their description:

This aged aroma Liubao Tea GuYun01 is an exclusive product of Teayucafe Teachina, is steeped in heritage. Hailing from the very birthplace of Liubao dark tea, this 2022 vintage has been aged gracefully for 3 years to develop its remarkable character. Has enormous potential for aging

Taste Profile

It boasts a rich, earthy aroma that is characteristic of well-aged Liubao tea. The infusion presents a deep, reddish-brown hue, reflecting its quality. On the palate, it offers a smooth, mellow taste that lingers, embodying the classic “red, thick, aged, mellow” traits.

I'll add a spoiler here and mention that it's a more pre-fermented version of Liu Bao.  That can be a very good thing, depending on results, but I suppose personal preference always factors in.  To me, related to my own preference, young, harsher Liu Bao is generally not so nice, and it takes 10 to 15 years for versions that are more "raw," more matching sheng pu'er in that vaguely related divide, to mellow out and soften.

This is Legend of Tea information:

Chun Xiang 031 Liu Bao 10G | 100G | 250G | 1KG ($65 for 250 grams, available as a 10 gram sample for $4.16)

Lovingly matured for 19 years, this tea has mellowed out with a rich and velvety profile. A true testament of its age, its tea liquor is bold deep red accompanied with an enchanting aged aroma upon steeping.  The taste is a harmonious blend of smoothness and depth, leaving a satisfying aftertaste. Over time, the tea's character intensifies, becoming even more full-bodied and mellowly sweet, making it a prized addition to any tea collection.

That's 26 cents a gram, but again it's a different kind of thing.  It's actually from 2004, now 21 years old.  It's problematic for vendors to cite age like that in their descriptions because they'd need to go back and edit that page every year to keep it accurate.  Not a big deal though.  It may not be that we can call this completely fermented, or fully fermentation transitioned, but 21 years is a good start on that.

Review:

Legend of Tea 1 (a rinse, really; I'll taste it, write notes, and discard most):  definitely in Liu Bao range, heavy on that one set of minerals, a touch of pine, and medicinal herbs.  It's good.  It might "clean up a little" over the next round or two; it's not really musty, but there's a less clean sort of range sort of adjoining the mineral tone.  Mineral is like slate, I guess, or alternatively and less positively you could describe it as like cement block or still-curing cement.  It's fine though, not bad, not negative at all.

Tea China version:  interesting!  Flavors are less intense, but there's a depth to this.  I thought that it would probably not stand up well in comparison, and that may still be the result, but so far so good, even though flavor is less intense.  Tones are warmer.  This is probably more pre-fermented?  Or it could be older; the other I think is a 2011 version, which I'll confirm by checking the Chinese language packaging image later.  It's presented in a small box, which does list Hilltown Tea Company, Liu Bao Tea, and a packing date of December 2024, but that's not the tea production date.  [later edit:  I was remembering the wrong date, from having looked up a version that it turned out not to be during that first review; it's from 2004].

I think this is the shou / shu pu'er equivalent for Liu Bao tea, which is fine.  I could be clearer on how close the processing steps are to sheng for the less pre-fermented Liu Bao versions.  It's definitely not the same, but it's a gap in what I've researched before.  Or actually I have read a bit on it, but not everything sticks in my mind now.  I skimmed through a good reference in an older Global Tea Hut magazine, which I should have already mentioned elsewhere, but that I can link to again here.

That December 2017 Global Tea Hut issue is here; I really need to read through that.

Legend of Tea #2:  I'm brewing these fast because I'm using a really high proportion, brewing the entire 7 or 8 grams both vendors sent as samples.  Using half as much would be fine for Liu Bao, stretching out times a little.  Or maybe better.  

The picture for these I used as the initial image, and it's really dark, even though these brewed for not much longer than 10 seconds.  Later it turned out that this Legend of Tea version really is from 2004, so it aged a good bit to darken brewed liquid appearance, and the Tea China version really is more pre-fermented, more "ripe."  The Legend of Tea vendor is based in Malaysia; that could be a huge factor.  Teas ferment much, much faster here in Bangkok than when stored pretty much anywhere in Yunnan, and Malaysian climate is pretty close to here.

That distinctive set of flavors is pronounced in this, in a well-balanced and pleasant form.  This is Google AI's description of that list, which I'm forgetting part of:

Traditional Liu Bao tea flavors include the distinctive betel nut aroma, along with woody, medicinal, honey, jujube, fungal, ginseng, and pine smoke aromas. The unique "golden flower" (a healthy mold) can also contribute a sweeter taste and is considered a sign of quality.  

I'm not so sure about the golden flower part; that seems to come up more in other hei cha.  Betel nut was what I was forgetting; that's hard to place because I've never tried it.  Maybe I have some limited idea of what that's about from trying teas described in that way, or maybe not.  Jujube is quite familiar; that's Chinese date, usually referenced as the dried version.  It's great.  That's a part of my favorite Chinese originated desert here, a mix of dried fruit and beans with ground ice and longan juice.  Candied lotus is especially pleasant in that, and the beans are better than they sound.

Pine is definitely present, and mineral herb, which I guess could be in the ginseng range (that's familiar, but I've not had the brewed root version for quite awhile).  Wood, I'm not sure.  Mineral one could go on about, trying to narrow down.  It's not completely different than the warm, odd flavor of golden flowers, one part, which includes a yeast sort of flavor, and other range.

Legend of Tea:  this tastes a lot like shou / shu pu'er.  I'd guess that it's Liu Bao, tasting it blind, so not exactly like that, but much closer than the other.  The whole list I've just described for the other one might identify as secondary supporting elements, so it's complex.  But that distinctive warm and rich tone of shou is present, and earthier sort of range, like peat, or dark wood.  This is fairly clean, balanced, and complex, better than I thought it might be.  

Lots of Liu Bao versions are edgy, heavy in mineral, a little too far into cement range.  The complexity can be limited, and a mustiness can enter in.  These warm tones are only present in more fermented versions, which I think can relate to pre-fermentation.  Even though the other is from 2011, probably, that warmth hasn't developed to that level yet, and maybe it never will [later edit:  it's from 2004; being 21 years old it seems even more likely that the tones will only ever become so "warm."] 

Legend of Tea #3:  not transitioning too much, but then I'm using fairly fast infusion times for these, just a 10 second or so brew.  It's probably brewing more within the still damp leaves between rounds than during that 10 seconds, and it's just long enough to get the somewhat dissolved solids to extract out.

What to add?  This is clean, complex, well-balanced, and it has good depth.  Sweetness is fine; it's not really a sweet type of tea, but there's enough for it to balance.  The flavors list is right, in a type-typical range.  Feel is rich, and it expresses some aftertaste.  It's clearly pretty good.  

It's hard for me to put Liu Bao on a scale, as I could with some other types, but I've kept trying it over the last decade.  I've drank about a kilogram of it in that time, probably, even though it's not really a personal favorite.  It's a great tea to have with food, and sometimes you just feel like certain experiences.  And a friend passed on a lot of it, a Malaysian pen-pal friend I've mentioned lots of times here.  I should check in with him again.

Tea China:  this does transition a little; that dried fruit note is coming out, as close as anything to jujube (dried Chinese date).  I'm surprised that this essentially holds its own with the other version.  I didn't lack faith in Tea China's sourcing, it's more that Liu Bao is often not this good.  It's standard to run across harsh-edged, less fermented versions, that are fine after 15 years of settling.  Unless I'm way off, which could happen, this has been pre-fermented, so it wouldn't need nearly that long to shine.  But if Liu Bao is like shou then it would need 2 or 3 years for the funkier range flavors from fermentation to settle back out, a range that can vary a lot (peat, petroleum, etc.).  

I tried a standard brick version of a factory shou once that tasted unusually strong of petroleum, thinking that it was ok, but not the best experience, and then a couple of years later that dropped out, and it was creamy, rich, complex, expressing flavors across a different earthy and warm range.  Then that vendor had went out of business, a Tae Tea / Dayi outlet, selling some other range, so I couldn't buy more.  I don't think that was Dayi or CNNP (Tae Tea or Zhong Cha); another producer instead.

It's hard to judge if this completely different range is better or worse.  It's just different; I think that kind of subjective interpretation would relate to preference.  Quality is pretty good for both.  The first definitely matches what one might expect of Liu Bao better, but a shou pu'er drinker would probably love the second more.  It's not as if there is no pine, related mineral edge, and medicinal herb in this, it's just focused more on warmer range, now into dried fruit.

This has been a lot of tea to drink.  I threw out half the first round, treating it as a rinse, but still 5 cups of relatively intense Liu Bao is a lot.  I broke form and ate a relatively neutral pastry along with these, which I think is a natural fit for Liu Bao, to have it with food.  Anything with strong flavor will throw off a tasting, but it can definitely help your stomach to either eat first or along with the tea.  I'm rushing reviewing now, trying to "catch up" a bit.

Completely another tangent, I just started eating (or drinking) the infused goji berry I have every morning, another part of that Chinese dessert I mentioned.  It would be a natural segue way to say that one of these teas tastes like this, but the second really is closer to Chinese date (jujube).  So why mention these berries?  There's a chance that I'm typing this out not wearing reading glasses, which I don't need or use, because of the dietary input of zeaxanthin and beta carotene from those berries, in part (since I'm pretty far into middle age now).  Lutein is also associate with eye health, but then I already eat a lot of leafy green vegetables, which is normal in Thailand.  

Conclusions:

Most of it is already in the notes.  It's interesting that the comparison version is that much older than I thought, 21 years old now.  This Tea China version is 3; it might settle and improve more over the next 2 or 3 or so, but I wouldn't expect it to change that much in the decade after that.  That's just a guess though, and I've not drank that much "ripe" style Liu Bao for it to be a good guess.

It might seem like as a sheng pu'er drinker I would strongly prefer the first, from Legend of Tea, for being closer to that in theme, if not aspects and style.  I might have liked it a little more, but it was pretty close, for me.  I just don't love Liu Bao enough for that type-typical, somewhat aged range to really stand out to me.  It's good; that seems clear.  I can appreciate it.  But I'm more on a young or moderately aged sheng pu'er page just now for main preference.  That's a complicated subject, and it makes it sound like I'd prefer 10 year old sheng, which of course is not true at all, related to a very different set of transition patterns applying to sheng pu'er.

I tend to emphasize value, in some posts, and then let it mostly drop in others.  These two seem to be priced fairly, for what the teas are.  The other being older, and a "raw" type version seems to probably relate to a natural higher selling point.  It's not so easy to find good "ripe" Liu Bao versions, per what I've experienced (which of course is a bit random), but unaged teas tend to sell for less, given the opportunity and storage costs of keeping a tea around for 21 years. 

This comparison worked out better than I'd hoped.  I was just worried the Tea China version might not compare well, because the other version is pretty far up the scale for Liu Bao experiences I've had, but it turned out to be different in style, and also quite pleasant.

Liu Bao comparison tasting, 2004 and late teens versions

 

LOT 031 version left, in all photos

I'm reviewing two versions of Liu Bao tea, one sent by the Legend of Tea vendor (the main one I'm reviewing), and another from a friend in Malaysia, maybe in 2019 or so.  I may have never reviewed that other version here; that's strange.  In this post I reviewed some other Liu Bao he sent earlier, in 2017, but I think this was from about two years later.

It took some doing figuring out what this version is, because it's labeled in Chinese, and the site doesn't make mapping that back easy.  At first I thought it was this, but it's not:

Hilltown Aged Liu Bao  (2011 product, $2.31 for 10 grams or 74.34 for 450 grams)

Drinking Pu'er and Liu Bao tea is a time-honoured Nanyang Chinese tradition that continues to this day. From the tin mining era, miners have been drinking Liu Bao tea as their daily health elixir. Renowned for four unique qualities "red, rich, aged and mellow", Liu Bao tea had won hearts of those who have tasted its charm.

Hilltown Aged Liu Bao tea leaves are fine and tight in appearance, with a glossy hue of blackish brown. Upon steeping, its liquor is a lustrous deep red, pleasantly mellow and sweet, with a well balanced aroma. The enchanting tea essence lingers long after each sip, and the smooth and enduring mouthfeel makes it a delightful companion for multiple steepings.

Then it seemed like possibly something from this sample set, and it is one of those teas.  The vendor helped fill in that it's really this:

Chun Xiang 031 Liu Bao 10G | 100G | 250G | 1KG ($65 for 250 grams, available as a 10 gram sample for $4.16)

Lovingly matured for 19 years, this tea has mellowed out with a rich and velvety profile. A true testament of its age, its tea liquor is bold deep red accompanied with an enchanting aged aroma upon steeping.  The taste is a harmonious blend of smoothness and depth, leaving a satisfying aftertaste. Over time, the tea's character intensifies, becoming even more full-bodied and mellowly sweet, making it a prized addition to any tea collection.

In this post I was guessing that it was a pre-fermented variation of Liu Bao, similar to shou / shu pu'er, because the fermentation level is so complete.  It being from 2004 explains that fermentation input level, potentially in a different way, or maybe it was processed in a manner similar to shou.  21 years is awhile, especially for teas being stored in Malaysia; it's there.  Then I can't say for sure that it wasn't pre-fermented originally as well; there are different styles of Liu Bao, processed in different ways, per my understanding mapping fairly directly to the sheng and shou (raw and ripe) pu'er types.

There's not much about the other version to serve as a baseline.  I describe what it had been like earlier, but it has changed a lot in a half dozen years.  Here's where it was from:

Who sends an online friend a kilogram of any kind of tea?  That friend, and not very many other people.  Of course I never had any idea how much it cost; you don't ask about gifts like that.

There's more from him in a description of Tie Kuan Yin's origin story (along with a review of two TGY oolongs that he also sent), which is the most background I've even included about him.

The review notes don't make much of the 031 version's leaves being finer, or brewed tea color differing quite a bit, focusing more on the experienced aspects (vision is an experience; I mean flavor and mouthfeel).

Review:

Legend of Tea Liu Bao (2004, it seems, but I wrote review notes without knowing that):  heavy on that distinctive mineral range, which reminds me most of cement block.  Using a rinse for these would have been reasonable, but I didn't (although this was a fast infusion, so it's a rinse if you throw it away, and an early infusion if you don't).  I might just check the flavor and character and skip drinking all of it.  

So far this seems promising.  Early mineral related range is a little rough, but I think that will smooth out quickly.  Feel is already smooth and rich; by rough I mean that it's a little dry, a little far into tasting like cement range.  There is lots of other depth there already there, other sweetness.

This reminds me of seeing a comment about the set (7?) of distinctive Liu Bao flavors awhile back.  I asked Google's AI results what those were, but I'm sure the list isn't exactly the same:

Liu Bao tea boasts a complex flavor profile, often described as earthy and mellow, with prominent notes of betel nut, medicinal herbs, and wood. It can also exhibit hints of honey, jujube, and even a subtle fungal aroma, particularly in aged varieties. (and pine smoke is mentioned in the detailed breakdown after).

I'll do more of a flavor list next round, referring back to that.

comparison version, from a friend in Malaysia:  much different.  It's warmer, missing some of the cement block flavor range, but with plenty of other mineral.  I think this is quite different than when I first tried it a half dozen years ago, mellowed quite a bit.  "Different how" will be easier to describe in the flavor list breakdown next round.

LOT Liu Bao #2:  lots of cement-oriented mineral range still comes across, but it already balances a lot better, with other range stepping forward more.  Probably next round this early transition will be more complete.

It's hard to say if this really does taste like betel nut, medicinal herbs, wood, honey, jujube, fungal aroma, and pine smoke.  It's complex, and most of that seems to work.  There's a decent chance that betel nut is the most pronounced flavor, after that mineral range, but I'm not familiar with that flavor to call it.  There's a little jujube (Chinese date), but it's secondary to a lot of other complexity.  Wood tones stand out more, and pine, maybe pine wood, versus smoke.

It's cleaner than it probably sounds, as that list.  Flavor range is on the deep, warm, and heavy side.  Per my understanding Liu Bao can be relatively pre-fermented (like shou pu'er) or not much at all (more like sheng), and this seems to include that process as a main input [editing note:  unless this is significantly aged, and then distinguishing pre-fermentation input and aging effect would require plenty of exposure to lots of versions to become clear on].  But it doesn't result in exactly the same heavy, rich flavors as those common in shou.  It's related, but a different set.

Complexity is positive in this.  Clean effect is nice, and sweetness is good.  Feel is rich and full.  So to me the make or break related to the experience is how one takes that mineral base flavor, which really sets the stage for all of the rest.  It's in between pine wood and cement, which one could interpret as medicinal herbs instead (which sounds better).  It should "clean up" a lot over the next round.

comparison version:  a heavy, distinct flavor range stands out in this, which I don't remember from trying it many times before.  Lots of what I do remember has transitioned to become only supporting aspects, a rougher, lighter mineral range.  Maybe part of that is betel nut (again), since I'm really describing a set of flavors that are primary that come across as connected.  Richness and sweetness weren't as present before, and a dried fruit range also entered in (like jujube, dried Chinese date, but I suppose it could also be interpreted in different ways).  

So is this not as good, better, or just different?  I'll get back to that over the next couple of rounds.

LOT #3:  this really does come together nicely this round; warm and sweet tones ramp up, and drier mineral tones balance better.  That same complex set of aspects is all present, all integrated really well.  I could probably sort out what the flavors are better, but that earlier list could work as identification.

comparison version:  this is pretty good too, but the profile is narrower.  It has softened and deepened over time, which is nice, but it lacks the fullness of flavor across the broad range the other expresses.  That's not necessarily worse, but it does seem to leave out part of what is making Liu Bao work, that intensity of balancing flavors, so I guess the complexity.  This is centered more on the deep mineral, with some woodiness, a bit towards pine, and a touch of what could be interpreted as dried fruit.  That probably sounds like a description of the other, but somehow it covers less range.

It's interesting considering that if the other version is closely mapped to shou pu'er it's at a relative end-point for fermentation, or the same would be true if it's quite aged instead, and at 7 or so years along this would be more at a mid-point (although I'm not sure how old it was back then, when I got it).  It should keep changing more over the next half a dozen years.  I'm not sure how well that parallel holds up; it's a different style of tea, not made in the same way, not expressing relatively identical young character in terms of aspects.  It might work better as a thought model or point of comparison than a guess about future transitions.

LOT #4:  depth, complexity, feel, and overall balance are nice for this.  It does seem like this is closer to a shou style, related to that warm, earthy depth.  That or else this has really been aging for a long time, a decade or more [21 years, per the product description].  It's different than shou, of course, with that dry mineral base standing out (that's not really present in shou at all), with the rest matching better.  That mineral level and type has softened and changed over the last two infusions.  

Even for the rest shou doesn't taste like jujube / Chinese date, to this extent, and what I'm interpreting as probably like betel nut isn't common either.  The rich feel and warmth is comparable, and fullness.  

It would be interesting to see if I can tolerate this while fasting, as I can shou, if that part carries over.  When a test of that doesn't work it puts me in an awkward place, because I won't just eat some food to resolve it.  I can drink shou or aged white tea when fasting, and so far the rest doesn't work very well.  I've only experimented with aged sheng a little, because the initial trial didn't go well.

comparison version:  there's a bit of sourness in this, that has been evolving to be stronger.  To me it's decent tea, interesting for being where it is, and it may well have positive transition potential left.  But the other is more positive now, in a couple of different ways.  Feel is pretty good for this, and the warmer tones work a lot better than how it came across a half dozen years ago (to me; people could love that edginess and intensity).

It's not a given that Gongfu brewing gets the best out of Liu Bao, or that all versions would work out the same related to relative optimum preparation.  To me for sheng and shou pu'er Gongfu brewing is best, in general, but these teas might work well brewed using other approaches, using a much lower proportion.  Just a good sized pinch would be enough for "grandpa-style" brewing, drinking it together with the tea left in, using a very extended infusion time.  It would probably still brew a few rounds that way, and you could add another pinch to keep on going, for quite awhile.  The first Legend of Tea version, for being closer to shou in character, would probably brew tea well using a thermos brewing approach, which isn't completely unrelated, using a very long infusion time, and very limited proportion, letting it sit for an hour or two.  Proportion could be really low for that; it wouldn't take much to brew a strong 700 ml of tea.

All of that is more discussion than suggestion; messing around with brewing approach might turn up interesting and positive results.

LOT #5:  since these aren't transitioning that much I'll probably leave off after this round.  Intensity is backing off just a little but this is far from finished, it seems.  Within another couple of rounds I'd be stretching timing a little, which would change aspects some, but I'll probably not write about that.  It's good, similar to how it has been for the last couple of rounds.

comparison version:  a sort of roasted sunflower seed flavor emerges; this is changing a little more.  The sourness that had evolved has now largely dropped out.  It expresses a more limited flavor profile, so it's less complex, but the range is comparable, and it's also good.  

This might match up really well with a range of foods, which is one positive potential that my Malaysian friend, who sent this to me, had emphasized in talking about how they prefer to experience Liu Bao.  It would be rich and intense enough to balance dim sum nicely, and include enough mineral and astringency to offset some of those dishes being heavy, rich, or oily.  The other would be ok too, but it would be more like drinking shou pu'er with food, which could also work.  

The way this tea was 5 or 6 years ago was a lot more intense, a bit harsher, including more mineral expression and astringency, and that would've balanced against heavy food in a different kind of way.  I suppose that it could work to see this character as in between how it had been and the Legend of Tea version I'm using it as a comparison with.

Conclusions:

This seemed to leave out two different kinds of conclusions:  to what extent do I like the teas (match to my preference), and how do I judge them in terms of quality level or trueness to type for Liu Bao?

The first relates most to my type preferences in tea, more so than to the quality level of either.  They're good, but I like sheng pu'er most, as tea types go.  From there I also really appreciate black tea, basic Chinese-style versions, especially Dian Hong, and a lot of oolong range, especially Wuyi Yancha and Dan Cong.  So I do like these, but not absolutely loving Liu Bao limits that.  It's the same for shou pu'er; it can be fine, but I tend to not love it.  And all the more so for green tea, which is more or less my least favorite main broad type.

Related to quality level these seem fine, but I can't really place either on a scale.  They seem like relatively different variations of Liu Bao, possibly relating to that raw / ripe or pre-fermented or not divide.  It's trickier to try to place two different teas in relation to being good quality examples of two different types or styles, in relation to each other.

I think the main version I'm reviewing here, the Legend of Tea version, is really nice, pleasant and complex, well-balanced, and in a drinkable style.  It's better tea than the other version, but that's probably not comparing apples to apples, since it is much more fermented than the other, older, or maybe a processing difference also entered in.

I think it does match one normal type range of Liu Bao, a variation that's already well fermented.  I can't place it on a quality scale, or guess about a normal pricing range, because the type just isn't that familiar.  But I can add that unless someone is looking for a slightly more challenging type, as the other was when it was newer, this covers pleasant and complex Liu Bao range in a very positive way.  Flavors are intense, complex, and well-balanced, and it lacks any kinds of flaws or obvious limitations.  As I interpret it the style is a good match to the general type.

The other version is fine too, but it may be even better in another half dozen years, once it finishes an aging process.

Since I can't really place this for quality level, due to not being familiar enough with a higher end range of Liu Bao, it's also hard to place it for value.  I can add that if you buy a few aged Liu Bao versions from a source like Yunnan Sourcing there is a good chance that none will really compare well to this, regardless of their age, or possibly even brand and version.  Storage conditions need to be somewhat optimum for the initial quality of a version to carry over well to an aged form; too wet and one would be quite musty, too dry and the fermentation process wouldn't occur properly.  

It's been awhile since I've done that, but Liu Bao has turned up here and there in samples since.  This version is one of the best I've tried, and maybe the best, since it's hard to keep track.  It will be interesting trying others from them, to help place it further.

A pleasant tea meetup with a nice tasting lineup

 

only 5 of the 7 who attended; I forgot to take the picture earlier

Friends gathered at our house again to try some teas, probably the last of a series of a half-dozen somewhat related meetups.  Three meetups were held where I live (in Bangkok, for now, in Honolulu soon), or four, if you also count a couple of friends dropping by in January (visit vs. meetup; not so different).  

To me those are mostly about the people joining experiencing the teas, and appreciating interacting with others, more than a formal tasting theme.  I could have said ten times as much about the teas, at the cost of most of that interaction dropping out.  Even doubling the limited information and input would shift the tone, from a friendly gathering of friends to more of an educational experience.  That's fine too, but when people first meet each other it's better if they can chat a good bit, and people joining has always included some of them repeating and some being new arrivals.  To me it's important for them to be able to express themselves, and for it to be about all of them, more than the teas.  I don't find myself as interesting because I already know those stories.

Interacting with the people was as pleasant as the teas, or more so for me, because I've already tried those teas.  But the teas themselves were exceptional, interesting for different reasons, and more of a sensible tasting theme or pattern emerged this time.  We talked more about whatever tangents came up, and our own backgrounds.  One person had traveled a lot (and many participants have been nomads throughout the various meetups), another was coming to tea from a drink-mixing background, and one was a long-term local resident working in freelance writing, with a diverse background.  So fascinating!  

Two friends I keep meeting are teachers, who alternate working and traveling, with one working on finishing a Master's thesis now.  One friend in attendance, who I've met a couple of times, is a Zen meditation instructor, although we didn't seem to get into that part so much.  That might not be an easy subject to say just a little about.  As usual people were from all over:  the US, Canada, Germany, and Italy, with a longer list of where they've also lived.

This writing is more about the teas instead; I won't summarize the rest about all that.  Mentioning what the teas were, and adding reference links, would help them see what we had tried again, and to me the sequence was interesting.  We keep trying different patterns of experiences, beyond generally moving from lighter to heavier tea character range.  This struck a balance between that kind of pattern and generally just trying what I like, with a secondary focus on the teas being novel.  It worked.

1.  Mao Feng Qimen, Chinese black tea (from Dylan Conroy of the Sweetest Dew, not reviewed, but here are other related versions reviewed):  I missed trying the last sample Dylan had sent of exceptional Qimen, and this was a good time to get to it.  

More ordinary Qimen is just another standard commercial black tea, but versions do vary.  I guess this was made from the plant type used to make Mao Feng, a main green tea type (or at least that seems to make the most sense).  It was heavy on buds, quite refined, complex, and pleasant in flavor, including cacao and a bit of soft malt.  It's not light in the sense that a rolled oolong would be, but the warm tone doesn't make it a challenging tea, and I didn't feel like starting all the way "back" at green tea or light rolled oolong, even though I have those around.  I like black teas better, and I wanted to get on to more sheng pu'er tasting this time.

not that tea, but two other exceptional Qimen from Dylan

2.  Dian Hong (Yunnan) style Thai black tea from Aphiwat, a 2024 version, from wild origin material (reviewed here, with a contact link to the producer here).  This is a tea I've been drinking regularly for awhile, and one we've tried in another tasting version, or maybe even two of them.  It's a lot like Dian Hong tend to be:  complex in flavor, expressing a lot of positive range (cacao, etc.), with good mineral depth, and good balance.  Part of the range could seem to include sourness to some (Huyen didn't really like it, or Dian Hong in general), but I love it.  

It's funny how I'm a bit put off by tartness in a black tea, but one leaning a little towards a sour range is still fine.  To me you wouldn't normally make this connection in trying this tea (seeing it as sour), but when you think about it that kind of works, and for people only adjusted to trying variety Sinensis black tea versions the difference could be off-putting, as it is for Huyen.  I just had it with breakfast, on the day I'm editing this; it's also great with food.

that Thai black tea

3.  local Vietnamese sheng (2024 from Quang Tom, reviewed here):  I love this tea!  I loved the 2023 version, and this 2024 version might be a little better.  It's quite oxidized, which is strange for sheng in general, but not so unusual for SE Asian versions.  According to Seth--mentioned in this blog many times, someone who looks into Vietnamese teas a lot, and researches them along with Huyen--that might be a normal step for Vietnamese sheng processing.  I've talked to this producer and it's intentional.

A tea version essentially in between sheng and black tea probably wouldn't age well, past just changing a little over a couple of years, but if those first years are positive enough that doesn't matter.  I drank a 2023 cake version pretty fast, and I'd drink this 2024 cake I own faster, but it's the second one I bought, and I don't want it to go as fast as the first did.  Tones are warmer than for conventional sheng, of course, and bitterness and astringency are limited, but plenty of fruit stands out.  It helps to push it just a bit to get the intensity up to the normal crazy sheng level, but you can push it as much as you want, since there is nothing negative to brew around.

2023 was pressed a little too hard (left), but the 2024 form is perfect

4.  Viet Sun Son La Vietnamese sheng (2023 version, reviewed here):  I really like this tea too; it's also the second cake I'm on for this same version.  I don't mind the repetition at all, or that I've been drinking Thai sheng from Aphiwat over and over as well.  I try plenty related to the blog review theme, and it's nice drinking favorites beyond that.  It helps keep my tea budget moderate too, but this cake is in the normal price range, I think, probably listing for around $80 now ($77; I checked during editing).  I bought it for one price increase less than that a year ago, and also the year before, so I think it's worth it. 

It's a bit more challenging than the first sheng we tried; it includes conventional sheng bitterness and astringency, just not the most ordinary flavor range.  To me it expresses more fruit than floral tones.  It made for a nice tasting sequence already, bridging from two types of black tea onto a hybrid sheng, then one that's more conventional, but not necessarily completely standard related to most Yunnan forms.

the Son La Viet Sun cake

5.  Man Xi 2008 sheng pu'er sample:  (finally back to using that second term)  I don't know what this is, or who gave me this; I grabbed about 20 teas from samples or favorites that we might try, and aged sheng somehow fit at this time.  Another I almost brewed instead was slightly older "factory" tea, a numbered CNNP or Taetea version (if I checked the number again I'd know; if it ends in 1 that's CNNP / Zhongcha and 2 that's Taetea / Menghai Tea Factory), as Google's AI explains:

First two digits: The year the recipe was developed

Third digit: The grade of the raw tea leaves, or maocha. The scale ranges from 0 to 9, with 0 being the smallest and 9 being the largest

Fourth digit: The factory that produced the tea

For example, a tea cake with the recipe number 7542 was developed in 1975 and made with fourth-grade tea leaves by the Menghai Tea Factory. The Menghai Tea Factory is one of the most famous producers of Pu'erh tea in China. 

Somehow it seemed likely this would be more of a boutique range version, which can be interesting, and definitely more refined.  It was like that.  I know no background related to this version or that area, but I'll cite a source describing another tea that might parallel it, or it might not:

Our 2007 Organic Manxi Mountain Raw Pu’er Cake uses sun-dried Shaiqinmao tea leaves (Yunnan big-leaf variety) from ancient tea trees grown on the organic tea plantations of the Manxi Mountain area. It is produced by Fuhai Tea Factory in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan.

The Manxi Mountain area is located at the Sino-Burmese border in the district of Daluo Town, Menghai County. It features a large group of very old large-leaf tea trees, planted by the Blang people over 500 years ago.

People keep buying aged sheng to find versions like this one, unless they really need super high complexity and intensity, as factory versions exhibit, if they don't mind rough edges that can go with those others.  Or this more refined version is another type of offering, more subtle, but potentially still well-balanced, or other 25 year old teas in a broader range might have settled but haven't faded.

Some aged sheng does just fade, if the type isn't suitable for this 17 year old, relatively transitioned range, but the intensity in this was ok, pretty good.  Not necessarily on the high side for intensity; it was quite drinkable and refined, but also a bit subdued.  Tones could've been a little warmer; maybe it hadn't been in wet storage for a lot of that time, which tends to emphasize that.  

For us not really focusing in on those teas as much as we might have I don't think most people picked up on just how good this tea was (although one person mentioned it), but that's all relative anyway.  I thought it was a bit exceptional, based on patterns of my own expectations, related to prior experience.  But then I also commented how I liked a 2006 Xiaguan 8653 version more, one we tried together two weeks ago, even though we all agreed it had a strong "barnyard" taste.  A clean version of that, mind you, like horse saddle, not like aged barn or manure smell.

that cake, which I really like, commonly sold in lots of outlets (the Xiaguan, not Man Xi)

6.  Oriental Leaf Fu "brick" (cake) hei cha (from 2020), with golden flowers (reviewed here, with the vendor page here; I think this was the Fengqing version, not the Lincang origin one):

This was quite a shift, moving from pretty good aged sheng on to novel hei cha.  That adds a lot of rough edges and rustic tone, but this tea type is pleasant, and interesting.

The golden flowers input is positive, and pleasant, while definitely unusual, related to most other tea experience.  It's hard to describe; it's a little like yeasty, fresh baked bread, just not exactly like that.  Maybe it leans toward floral and spice range at the same time, while based on warm tones.  While trying the next round, the one after this, I kept this tea brewing to try a really strong infusion version, and that was completely different, still approachable, but almost shockingly intense, heavy on mineral layer and those other flavors.

lots of mold on that Fu cake, which is considered a good thing

7.  1991 Thai (Wawee) Liu Bao:  (from a friend, so there is no link or review of this) aged tea is interesting, how it picks up depth, and smooths out any rough edges that were ever present.  For powering through a half dozen teas prior to this, and not slowing the pace, probably that novelty and depth didn't really come across so clearly.  

This seemed like pretty good aged Liu Bao, how those should be, expressing that set of typical interesting and complementary flavors.  It tasted like Liu Bao, just an aged-mellowed version of one, as it should have.  To me prior to relatively complete aging Liu Bao a harsher edge and flavor like cement blocks can stand out, but this had moved past that, to the extent it ever included it.

8.  2024 Na Lang Laos sheng, from Farmerleaf (reviewed here, with the vendor page here):  this is a recent favorite, shared by William Osmont on his somewhat recent visit here.  It's really good, probably the best Laos sheng that I've tried, and I've probably tried at least 15 versions of that.  It's bright, positive in flavor range, well balanced, clean, complex, and intense.  A couple of people noted that it was their favorite so far in the tasting (so overall, it being the last one), and it was mine as well.  

It was interesting moving from light to heavy across that whole sequence, and then back-tracking to this version, and upping the quality level a little at the same time.  Those other teas were already good, good examples of those types.  But dynamic, intense, and balanced sheng is something else.  

Surely there is other sheng out there that can seem to take the next step in different directions; I've had versions like that, some from those highly desirable origins, and others from more ordinary places, that just happened to be really good.  It was interesting hearing people try to place what aspects or character made this different, and that good.  Interpretations always vary, and it's not as if one could be objectively right more than any other (although it can seem like that to some).

the Farmerleaf Na Lang Laos sheng

It was a good place to leave off.  8 versions is a lot of tea, and we weren't tasting the first 2 or 3 infusions, and moving on, we were really drinking the teas.  I brewed all that in a 200 ml gaiwan, stacking (mixing) infusions every time, either 2 or 3, usually 3, so we lost a little in terms of noticing transition sequences, but gained ground in keeping up a pace, and just drinking some tea.  Even drinking 4 more isolated infusions of each--not mixing them, and only drinking a little--would relate to 32 rounds in total.  The tasting ran long, but not as long as that approach would have taken, more like 4 hours instead of the planned 3.

Snacks worked out well too; there is a good bakery not far from our house (Little Home), and what they produce is often made in small item forms that work well, tiny croissants filled with sausage, small cream puffs and egg tarts, and so on.  You can't really drink a good bit of 8 versions of tea, and many of those intense versions at that, without that sort of adjustment, eating something to offset it.  One person brought a mango, and pistachios; those sorts of inputs are nice to add variety.

It made for a nice experience, both related to all those teas and focus on conversation and appreciating the rest of the group together.

one of the earlier meetups, with Huyen and Seth at the bottom (who I kept mentioning)

2004 Thai Hong Tai Chang shou, 1991 Liu Bao, 2010's Vietnamese shou

HTC left, Vietnamese version right, in all photos

I'm reviewing three teas passed on by friends in this, two shou and one Liu Bao.  It's not technically shou pu'er, since one is from Vietnam and the other Thailand, but to me it's identical to what is produced in Yunnan, related to that regionally-limited designation.  Others could see that differently.

In part this relates to reviewing a baseline for reviewing ITea World aged teas.  I won't directly compare these to other versions here, in part because that runs long, without informing much, tied to speculative judgment across weeks of time.

I've reviewed this Hong Tai Chang tea twice before, which is a little unconventional.  I tried it here, in 2024, back when I received these samples, which links to trying a relatively identical version in 2015.  10 years changes things, regardless of storage conditions inputs.  Here I'm using it as a baseline, a standard form for comparison for the other two teas.  It was supposed to serve as a way of discerning Liu Bao character / aspect difference, and to directly compare to the Vietnamese version.  That hit a snag, related to the latter, which I'll get into.

Review:

Hong Tai Chang:  it's good.  Rich, earthy, almost oily deep tones define the experience, along with plenty of dark mineral base.  It matches the color, the darkest of the three.  What about other typical shou aspect inclusions:  cacao, dried fruit, betel nut, medicinal range?  Maybe what people describe as betel nut is coming across, but I could be clearer on what that even is.  It could be interpreted as relating to root spice.  This is only the first infusion after a fast rinse; that's good complexity for this stage.

A thick, oily, resinous feel is pleasant.  It adds depth to the experience.  The flavor set is less novel and striking, but it is pleasant, and clean enough.  There's no barnyard range, mustiness, and the like.

Liu Bao:  it's interesting that what I guessed might be betel nut flavor is so much stronger in this; it's more of a main flavor aspect, maybe the main one.  It's hard to relate that to something more common, to explain it better.  It is kind of in between an aromatic wood tone and aged furniture effect, which I think divides into one set of flavors tied to age input and another to aromatic oils range, representing the wood treatment, which combine.  This is really smooth, and quite clean.  A bit of marshmallow flavor fills in some depth, of course along with warm mineral tone.  It's brighter than one might expect, and cleaner.

Vietnamese shou:  there's something odd going on with this.  It tastes too much like one particular range of aged furniture input, as if long contact with a foreign flavor input added too much of an aromatic oil or polishing agent edge.  It tastes perfume-like, in an unnatural way.  That's just a hint coming from it though, not a strongest flavor, but it really stands out for seeming foreign to the natural flavor range.  It tastes like this was stored next to incense sticks.  That may "burn off" over one more round, if it really is from an external contact.  If that's somehow completely natural I don't understand it.  The rest is fine, clean, with decent complexity, balance, and depth.

For using more moderate proportions than I typically do, maybe 5 grams each, I'll need to keep infusion time long to keep intensity up, on towards 30 seconds, versus a more typical 10 to 15.  Of course I intend to drink these on the strong side; they're shou and well-aged Liu Bao.

HTC #2:  feel is nice in this; it almost stands out most.  The rest of the flavor set is complex and pleasant:  what could be betel nut, root spice, and warm mineral.  It would be possible to interpret this as tasting like cacao and some kind of dried fruit, or even bark spice, since good complexity does require some imagination to unpack.  At the same time it comes across as unified and relatively simple, a bit of a contradiction.  All those flavors are expressed within a narrower range than it sounds like they might be.  A hint of marshmallow effect is nice; that's extra range.

This is clearly pretty good shou, as expected (it hasn't been that long since I tried this version).  It also highlights why I'm not all that impressed by pretty good shou.  It comes across as complex but also simple, refined but still basic.  Why seek out better and more expensive shou range just to experience marginal extra flavor, or depth?  Then again people valuing aspects or experience that I don't is normal, and reasonable.  I don't drink a fresh, intense, clean, and vegetal green tea and ask why people like that; they just do.

Liu Bao:  it's funny how much this overlaps with the first shou, but is also different.  It's slightly lighter in tone, and matches the betel nut / spice range, with even more marshmallow.  It's odd how clean this is; usually some residual mustiness comes across in most older teas, but not so much in this.  It's also definitely not faded by a high degree of air contact, although it might have experienced plenty.  Intensity is pretty good.  I suppose it comes across as just slightly more novel than the first shou version, but then the other one (HTC) expresses more warmth and intensity, darker toned and fuller in feel.  Both are good.

Vietnamese shou:  this is cleaning up, but some degree of what seems to be an external incense / perfume / even soapiness remains.  It must have experienced some external contact with something with flavor; there's no way this is completely natural (per my judgment; maybe it really is).  With that fading this much it might work to break down what the other range is without it being present as a main aspect.  

The other aspects beyond that seem fine:  warm mineral, dark wood or even spice depth, perhaps some dried fruit, or one other novel theme.  But the range that I take to be a foreign input stands out the most still, partly for being novel in an unconventional way, along with it being as intense as any other input.

A friend passed on a white tea that seemed to have an even stronger degree of foreign flavor input, which he thought might have come from a processing flaw, instead of being stored in a laundry room, next to soap and drier sheets, as it tasted like it might've been.  This isn't that intense.  It's not ruined, still drinkable, but it seems off to me.

HTC #3:  this isn't changing too much.  It is evolving in a positive way, based on trivial changes.  The same basic aspect list applies.

Liu Bao:  the same is true for this.  Root spice is picking up.  By that I typically mean along the line of ginseng, or even sassafras.  I could also mean that it tastes like other Chinese medicinal herbs that I can't fully place, like a Chinatown spice shop.  This also tastes like marshmallow, so that root range stands out most, but there is more to it, more vague, warm, complex underlying spice tone.  At the same time it comes across as quite clean.  It's definitely one of the better Liu Bao versions I've ever tried, giving up some intensity related to a long transition to this complex, mild form, but it's a decent trade-off.  

Comparing this directly to a much younger Liu Bao might not make much sense; something half this old, or a bit younger, may include more intensity, and a slightly different flavor profile, but it would also just be a different kind of experience.  34 year old tea is aging into a different kind of range.

Vietnamese shou:  apparently that perfume-range input will keep declining, but it won't go away.  It's a little disappointing; it would've been nice to get a clearer read on the rest without it, and to have that experience.  It comes across a little like a flavored tea.  Judged as such, in relation to that being a value-neutral inclusion, it's pretty good.  It just tastes like it was stored near incense sticks, and those match well enough with shou experience.  

What are the chances that this could be a completely natural, but novel, extra flavor inclusion?  I'd guess unlikely.  The range of how extra unique flavors enter in and combine becomes familiar over time, and I don't think this is that.

This next round will do it for the note-taking phase; this is so much tea to power through.  Any sensible person would just throw out the tea, after tasting enough to make the notes, but to me that's too disrespectful towards it.

HTC #4:  not changing much; it's still pretty good.

Liu Bao:  the same.  I brewed this round a little lighter so it may not work quite as well for me, but the teas don't seem different.  I never did address this being lighter in color than the first shou.  Could it be less than fully fermented?  I don't think so, at this age, 34 years old.  But the output could be different based on that resulting from different inputs.  Flavor range is slightly lighter too; hopefully that was already apparent in the tasting notes.

Vietnamese shou:  that flavoring input is easing up more than the rest is transitioning; this is the best this has been.  People would probably be divided on whether that one aspect range is a negative input, or relatively neutral, or I suppose if they read it as being natural it's possible that someone would even like it.  

The tea is fine, at this stage.  It tastes like ordinary shou, aged enough that the fermentation related funky input is gone (wo dui?).  It's just not overly complex or novel.  In retrospect, during editing, I really didn't get into aging differences, or differences in intensity or heaviness of flavor tones, in relation to the Thai shou version.  This review process was really thrown off by that one aspect input.

Conclusions:

This isn't really the kind of storage issue I was trying to unpack related to further comparison with ITea World sample set versions, but this does come up, the theme of external contamination.  

In a milder form it's quite common.  If I buy cakes from my favorite Bangkok Chinatown shop they're usually initially quite musty, from being stored in enclosed, hot, and humid conditions.  That will fade quite a bit over the first few months, as they pick up additional air exposure, since I don't keep them in a sealed room with a literal ton of other tea.  Some of that relates to being in contact with a lot of other tea, and also with packaging materials, with the paper in the cakes, and whatever cardboard might be around, all of which is fermenting in storage.  

We have a room full of old books in our house--of essentially no value; it's a long story--and within a few decades the paper browns, as it oxidizes, and as fungus--or mold, essentially--grows on the paper.  The libraries at the University of Hawaii, where I attended grad school, were undergoing something similar.  In one they maintained high airflow to offset that (lots of fans, in the Sinclair library), and in the other aggressive central air conditioning lowered humidity and temperature.  It's normal in the tropics.  Then it's odd how infrequently that relates to tea cakes growing actual mold, which makes for a longer story.

Storing tea next to something that changes its flavor isn't completely normal, but it would come up.  Vendors and producers try to avoid that, but we hear of lots of cases of extra bits of tea being found in unusual places, in attics and such.  That's why I keep expecting more mustiness to be an issue in these aged teas, since that's all the more common, and why I'm surprised that it's often not coming up at all.