This episode we drink another old very Liuan from Varat. Thank you! This particular tea is old and unique. Similar, but also quite different from aged Liubao or aged pu’erh.
This episode we drink another old very Liuan from Varat. Thank you! This particular tea is old and unique. Similar, but also quite different from aged Liubao or aged pu’erh.
2 responses to “1950s Sunyishun Liuan via Varat [Episode 273]”
Hello Guys,
Thanks for the review and it is interesting to see another side to this tea. The first steeps look plenty strong and beyond the extremes I have faced myself HAHAHA. I think this is one of those times whereby the human language and our personal and subjective interpretation can lead to a very different meaning. After a very strong opening and seeing Denny’s face I was glad to see the steeps were handled with less of a heavier hand.
For me the 1950s Liu An actually has more strength and complexity than the 1970s. The difference comes from allowing the tea leaves to retain more of its natural state and preserving its intrinsic qualities, this is key to preserving a tea’s potency and wonderful complexity. I believe once you grasp the effects of different tea processing and can also separate between the characteristics imparted from wet storage, and the age complexion from changes under the gradual progress of natural storage you will see age teas in a different light. This level of complexity and nuances in such an old tea is really quite rare and you really need to spend some quiet time to appreciate all that is going on.
All that said much respect and appreciation to both you guys. The demands and pressure from recording, brewing, drinking, assessing on the spot, etc does not make it easy to focus exclusively on the tea. The 1950s Liu An is not an easy tea to breakdown and I consider this tea to be an especially complex and demanding tea to assess.
Best, Varat
Thanks Varat. Yes, they’re tricky teas to nail down in a single session. Appreciate the opportunity to try. Thank you!