2006 Aged Liubao Tea – Ginseng Aroma, Deep & Mellow Dark Tea

• Aroma: Ginseng-like dried herbs, aged wood and faint camphor
• Taste: Dark honey and dried longan, with subtle cocoa and mineral-earth notes
• Body & finish: Thick, velvety and mellow, with slowly developing sweetness
• Liquor: Deep reddish amber to mahogany

Notice how the sweet herbal fragrance develops as the empty cup cools. For drinkers who enjoy aged herbal and woody flavors. This is a mature dark-tea profile, rather than a fresh floral or lightly fruity tea.

Gongfu

• Tea / water: 5–7g / 100ml
• Temperature: 95–100°C / 203–212°F
• Rinse: One or two quick 5-second rinses; discard
• First three infusions: 10–15 seconds each
• Following infusions: 15–25 seconds, increasing to 30–45 seconds and longer as flavor fades

Mug or teapot

Use 4–5g per 400ml at 95–100°C / 203–212°F. Start with 3–4 minutes; extend subsequent infusions. Pour out fully between brews.

Other ways to brew

• Grandpa style: 3–4g in a 300–400ml mug; refill when about one-third remains. Reduce the leaf amount if too strong.
• Simmering: 5–8g per 800ml–1 liter; bring to a boil, then simmer for 3–5 minutes.
• French press: 5g per 350ml at 95–100°C; steep 4–5 minutes, press and pour out fully.
• Thermos: 4–6g per 500ml; rinse, add boiling water and begin tasting after 2 hours.

After rinsing, a 30-second rest can help the leaves open. Gongfu brewing can yield around 12–18 infusions, depending on strength. Adjust to taste. One session uses a fresh portion of dry tea; that portion can be infused repeatedly.

Keep the leaves in a clean, dry place at a stable room temperature, away from direct sunlight, moisture, spices and other strong odors. Avoid refrigeration and freezing. Check the tea periodically rather than assuming that longer storage always improves it.