Becoming - Aged Liu Bao
Our purchasing philosophy is built around finding teas that are made to live upto their fullest potential; that is, to be drank, thereby serving their ultimate purpose and fulfilling their cycle.
But what if a tea had a higher goal than to just be consumed? Becoming is such a tea. Naturally aged with minimal processing for over 15 years, this liu bao was selected to be used in the making of Reincarnation (the second part of this two tea series).
Stuffed into bamboo baskets, Becoming is soaked with water used in the rinsing of rice, which helps to attract snout moths that naturally feed on rice, who then lay their eggs onto the tea. Not being one for spoilers, we'll leave the rest of this process to be found on the Reincarnation page. But, after that process has finished, there is still tea leaf remaining, which we now have the good fortune to be sharing with you.
With notes of petrichor, camphor and fall leaves, this is a tea for the sensory explorer. Whether that helps to inform just what the snout moth added to the equation, or simply as a challenge of a slightly off-the-beaten-path flavor profile, one cup of this tea will bring you (and the tea) closer to completion.
Location - Liubao Zhen, Cangwu County, Wuzhou Prefecture, Guangxi Z.A.R., China
Storage - Naturally aged in Wuzhou.
Harvest Time - Mid 2000s
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
- Gong Fu - This tea works great in both porcelain and semi porous vessels. Since it consists mostly of full leaf, we recommend filling two-thirds of the vessel with dry leaf. Can be used in grandpa style too.
- Western - Use two pinches of leaf per 8 oz of water. Add 212F water and steep for 4-6 minutes. Can be re-steeped a second time, adding 2-3 minutes to the original steep time.