1980s Liu An basket
Liu An tea is a personal favorite and any time an old basket lands on my tea table, it is going to be a good day. This is an intriguing production, it is somewhat rustic utilizing bigger leaves than what is normally found in a refine Liu An basket. The character of the tea surprised me, leaning more toward Yunnan than Anhui. A quick double rinse sets the stage nicely. The aroma is both soothing and grounding with a raw and elemental feel that has me thinking of trekking into a deep forest, parting the moist undergrowth you catch scents of dark greenery, camphor, roots, damp earth and minerals. Sipping the tea the taste is an integration of all the above, the flavors are very well merged and balanced. There is a comforting and grounding effect that an old tea drinker like me greatly appreciates. The tea lasted me throughout the day providing many infusions.
Additional Note: The 1980s Liu An basket comes with an embedded Sun Yishun inner ticket, a popular and renowned brand. It is important to be aware that old Liuan baskets that are labeled under Sun Yishun varies widely in quality, each production/batch can comprised of different leaf grade or raw material altogether in addition to different processing.
WWet leaves
Orange with a tinge of red
