Bought this in a recent order from Yunnan Sourcing. I have tried so many puerhs now I find myself branching out to liu baos and tian jians. This is a tea that someone who likes wet stored tea may really like. The dominant note to this tea was the note of wet wood. All aged Liu Baos in my experience seem to have this note. Maybe Guangxi is just a hot and humid place I don’t know. This flavor was especially strong in the first four or so steeps but was present in all ten steeps I gave this tea. I only bought 100g of this tea. I have a 2015 Liu Bao coming in the mail from Yunnan Sourcing. I am not 100% sure that this note is not just a characteristic of all Liu Bao teas. When I get the 2015 Liu Bao in the mail I will see if it has this note too. The 2015 will be too new to have taken on any wet storage tastes. So if it has this taste I know that it is just a characteristic of Liu Bao’s. I did manage to enjoy this tea although I am not a fan of wet storage. I am wondering if the note will dissipate in six months or a year of storage in the relatively dry climate here in New York.
I steeped this tea ten times in a 100ml gaiwan with 7g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, and 1 min.
Flavors: Wet Wood
Preparation
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How do you store teas? I buy a little bit of Pu-erh at a time due to my lack of knowledge on storing. I’ve read that a fridge works fine, but is there a better way, do you think?
Storage is a controversial subject. Most of my teas are stored in cardboard boxes. Each tea that I have started on gets a paper bag too. This is to keep the tea all in one place so to speak. And a partially open plastic bag over the paper bag. This method was suggested to me be a puerh store owner, either Puerhshop or Purepuer I forget which. Some of my tea gets stored in a pumidor built with a mini fridge. But I have a lot of tea that doesn’t fit so they go in cardboard boxes. I have been thinking of buying a couple of big stoneware crocks but haven’t yet. I do have a giant yixing container that holds about 30 or 35 cakes.
Thank you for the tip! I might steal this method. Ha-ha.
Storing teas in cardboard boxes covered with unsealed plastic is actually a great idea. I’ve been playing around with a lot of methods, but that seems to make more sense since temperature, humidity levels, and smells can be more effectively regulated.
If by fridge, you mean something that’s powered off, then fine. I highly recommend against keeping any tea in a cold refrigerator. The second you take out the cold tea leaves they will condensate, leading to spoilage within a few days. Generally speaking, avoid all environmental extremes. Keep the tea in an environment that’s comfortable for you.
Scott from Yunnan Sourcing has a video dedicated to pu’er storage and he emphasizes this point. Hope that helps!
Yes, I was told that an old fridge that isn’t working is the best, but I like the cardboard method since that is easily regulated as well.
Of course I mean a fridge that is powered off. Only an idiot would keep their puerh in a fridge powered on. I have heard some people keep certain types of tea in a fridge powered on but not puerh and then Vacuum sealed.
I used to have customers who came into Teavana tell me that they stored tea in a working fridge and complain that something was wrong with it. It was frustrating.
I have some liu bao that I got from curlygc, who got it from Chawangshop. It’s a 2005 raw, and it has a powerful smell of dirt that becomes less with months of airing out.
AllanK, I was referring to R.F. Hill, but I’m relieved you both were referring to a powered off fridge. My Japanese mother-in-law keeps her oolongs and green tea in the fridge habitually. Then again, summers in Asia are extremely humid, so I suppose it depends on what options one has available.
I agree with Aardvarkcheeslog (love that name!), that airing out the liu bao will improve the flavor and smell. I’ve alleviated some unwanted smells by leaving in an open basket or breaking them up into maocha and storing them in earthenware containers.
I have heard of people keeping green tea and matcha in the refrigerator as long as it is vacuum sealed. If it is not properly sealed moisture will get into the tea and you don’t want that until it’s time to brew the tea.
Liu Bao generally needs to air out. A lot of it is warehouse stored in baskets.
How do you store teas? I buy a little bit of Pu-erh at a time due to my lack of knowledge on storing. I’ve read that a fridge works fine, but is there a better way, do you think?
Storage is a controversial subject. Most of my teas are stored in cardboard boxes. Each tea that I have started on gets a paper bag too. This is to keep the tea all in one place so to speak. And a partially open plastic bag over the paper bag. This method was suggested to me be a puerh store owner, either Puerhshop or Purepuer I forget which. Some of my tea gets stored in a pumidor built with a mini fridge. But I have a lot of tea that doesn’t fit so they go in cardboard boxes. I have been thinking of buying a couple of big stoneware crocks but haven’t yet. I do have a giant yixing container that holds about 30 or 35 cakes.
Thank you for the tip! I might steal this method. Ha-ha.
Storing teas in cardboard boxes covered with unsealed plastic is actually a great idea. I’ve been playing around with a lot of methods, but that seems to make more sense since temperature, humidity levels, and smells can be more effectively regulated.
If by fridge, you mean something that’s powered off, then fine. I highly recommend against keeping any tea in a cold refrigerator. The second you take out the cold tea leaves they will condensate, leading to spoilage within a few days. Generally speaking, avoid all environmental extremes. Keep the tea in an environment that’s comfortable for you.
Scott from Yunnan Sourcing has a video dedicated to pu’er storage and he emphasizes this point. Hope that helps!
Yes, I was told that an old fridge that isn’t working is the best, but I like the cardboard method since that is easily regulated as well.
Of course I mean a fridge that is powered off. Only an idiot would keep their puerh in a fridge powered on. I have heard some people keep certain types of tea in a fridge powered on but not puerh and then Vacuum sealed.
I used to have customers who came into Teavana tell me that they stored tea in a working fridge and complain that something was wrong with it. It was frustrating.
I have some liu bao that I got from curlygc, who got it from Chawangshop. It’s a 2005 raw, and it has a powerful smell of dirt that becomes less with months of airing out.
AllanK, I was referring to R.F. Hill, but I’m relieved you both were referring to a powered off fridge. My Japanese mother-in-law keeps her oolongs and green tea in the fridge habitually. Then again, summers in Asia are extremely humid, so I suppose it depends on what options one has available.
I agree with Aardvarkcheeslog (love that name!), that airing out the liu bao will improve the flavor and smell. I’ve alleviated some unwanted smells by leaving in an open basket or breaking them up into maocha and storing them in earthenware containers.
I have heard of people keeping green tea and matcha in the refrigerator as long as it is vacuum sealed. If it is not properly sealed moisture will get into the tea and you don’t want that until it’s time to brew the tea.
Liu Bao generally needs to air out. A lot of it is warehouse stored in baskets.