Liu An/Liu Bao

[tony shlongini]

Liu An/Liu Bao

by tony shlongini » Sep 4th, '08, 23:27

As if puerh weren't wacky enough, anyone have any thoughts on these?

[puerhking]

by puerhking » Sep 4th, '08, 23:40

Technically speaking....I believe it is puerhs ugly cousin.

[edkrueger]

by edkrueger » Sep 4th, '08, 23:45

Its a pan fried green that is aged. Never had it.

Edit: I am talking about Lui An

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Sep 5th, '08, 00:15

Liu An and Liu Bao are post fermented teas like shu. In fact, I think that the idea for shu puerh comes from the Guangxi makers of these teas. The Puerh masters learned the basic technique from the Guangxi masters. 3 Cranes is a well known producer of Liu Bao. If you like shu, you will like either of these, though ideally they need to age. I think the 3 Cranes products are available in either cakes or tuo. I have a couple tuo, and they are a pain because of the tight compression: get the cakes if you can.

Here BBB reviews a not especially impressive liu an in a basket of bamboo:
http://puerh.blogspot.com/2008/05/2005- ... u-tea.html

Here Phyll Sheng compares two liu bao:
http://phyllsheng.blogspot.com/2007/02/ ... rison.html

Here MarshalN attends a tasting of a very ancient and valuable liu an:
http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN/630882742/item.html

[edkrueger]

by edkrueger » Sep 5th, '08, 00:26

for got to write that step. The result is apparently different than shu.

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Sep 5th, '08, 00:55

I was going to add some loose Liu Bao to the box pass....

Good timing!

[wyardley]

by wyardley » Sep 5th, '08, 01:46

Liu An and Liu Bao are post fermented teas like shu.

Sheng pu'er is also considered a post-fermented tea, no?

My understanding is that liu'an (at least) can be either aged / post-fermented from green leaves, or artificially ripened.

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Sep 5th, '08, 02:07

My understanding is that liu'an (at least) can be either aged / post-fermented from green leaves, or artificially ripened.

I meant "artificially" like shu. It never crossed my mind that there was a sheng-like, slow process, but it sure sounds very interesting. Now that you mention it, I have had some aged stuff that did not seem shu-like. It didn't seem like old sheng either, but it was a loose tea in small, consistent-sized pieces. BBB or MarshalN could undoubtedly enlighten us.

[Dizzwave]

by Dizzwave » Sep 5th, '08, 12:32

I've only tried the Liu An from Teaspring (which I think is fairly young stuff). It does have that pan-fried green taste, kinda like a Longjing.. but it gongfus (and otherwise looks/acts) like a sheng (in my humbly limited experience with it).
I don't see any similarities to shu, at least with the stuff I've tried...
I do like it, and drink it occasionally, but I don't like it as much as a good pu.

[hop_goblin]

by hop_goblin » Sep 5th, '08, 15:48

Liu An tea is said not even ready to touch unless it has aged atleast 20 years!

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Sep 5th, '08, 17:26

Liu An tea is said not even ready to touch unless it has aged atleast 20 years!

I used to say the same thing about my daughters.