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derk drank 2014 Three Cranes 45007 Recipe Traditional Liu Bao Hei Cha of Guangxi by Yunnan Sourcing

1638 tasting notes

Pulled this after 6 years since first acquaintance. It seems to have better longevity with age considering I used only 5g for a 200mL duanni pot and got 5 solid, longer than usual steeps and could’ve boiled out what was left. Age, or perhaps the way I prepared it, has mellowed the profile into creamy, sweetish loamy mud and dark tobacco with deep chicken soup taste and the peppery bite of betel nut. When I was in Hefeng, China last year, I tried betel nut for the first time. It was just okay. I enjoy the taste a lot but not the throat numbing or copious saliva production. The unidirectional, focusing buzz was helpful for picking tea but It is not a gregarious stimulant. More purposeful than euphoric.

Anyway, this tea floored me not taste-wise but in its powerful energy. I put on a record and drank cup after cup, sitting on the rug at the tea table. Soon I was raging hot and sweating, exactly like what happened when I slurped a boiling hot bowl of potent Korean ginseng chicken soup on a cold winter night in San Francisco. Then came the cool from the sweat and boom, I was on the floor on my back unable to move, getting lost in music and the memories of when that album came out. Caffeine is high here and kept me up way too late with the gift of troubled sleep

I enjoy this tea well enough. Due to its powerful energy, it’s one I will drink for medicinal effect rather than for taste.

Flavors: Alkaline, Bamboo, Bitter, Brisk, Chicken Soup, Creamy, Earthy, Geosmin, Loam, Medicinal, Mud, Nutty, Pepper, Roasted Chicken, Spicy, Sweet, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wet Wood

Preparation

Boiling 5 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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ashmanra
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That sounds wild!

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ashmanra
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That sounds wild!

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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