While Shu Pu’er was only developed in the 70s, people have been making liubao (Six Castles) in a similar way for over 1000 years. Raw leaves grown in Guangxi are piled and exposed to high humidity until suitably fermented, and then pressed into large bamboo baskets and left to air-dry for several months. Liubao was traditonally sold in these 40-50kg baskets, but is now sold loose in small amounts or pressed into cakes and bricks like pu-er.

This liubao has been aging since 2006, compared to younger liubao this has less of the sour, fermented heicha taste, and more of the earthy, woody, dry storage notes people expect from liubao specifically. It was made in Wuzhou in Guangxi but then later stored and sold from Kunming in Yunnan, where it’s not as hot or humid, resulting in a more recent dry storage taste.

The dry leaves of this liubao smell like a damp forest floor, with an undertone of what I shall describe as fermented beetroot. Sweetness wafts out from the wet leaves. It brews from light crimson to a deep dark blackish red, early infusions you’ll smell the heavy oxidization of black tea with sweet woody flavours, the mouthfeel gets drier each infusion contrasting with the wet forestry smells in your nose. It has a drying, slightly bitter aftertaste, short infusions and conservative leaf to water ratios are recommended. There is little to no sourness in this tea, it is mostly just sweet, and warming. I also recommend quickly washing your teaware after making this tea as it loves to leave big red stains.

This tea tastes great now, and will only improve with age if stored properly.
(Basket not included).