1995 Vintage Liubao Tea 9501 – Premium Buds & Tips, Traditionally Crafted

The 1995 Vintage Liubao Tea 9501 Buds and Tips is crafted from the exceptionally high-grade, first-flush spring tips of local, old-growth tea trees harvested in 1995. In "9501", the number 95 stands for the year 1995, and 01 indicates top-grade raw material. Such premium raw material was exceedingly rare at the time, and its preservation to this day makes it all the more precious. This tea adheres to the classic traditional Liubao tea processing method of "double steaming and double pressing 双蒸双压.” Produced in 1995, its fermentation was perfectly controlled, resulting in a stable tea character that laid an excellent foundation for subsequent aging. Following its creation, the tea was first matured in a tea cellar for three years before being transferred to a dry, wooden-board warehouse where it has been stored ever since. It has undergone nearly thirty years of complex aging, a process that has further mellowed its character, imbuing it with a rich quality while retaining its vitality.

The dry tea leaves are tightly rolled and slender, with golden tips, presenting a reddish-brown, dark, and lustrous appearance. They are clean and free of any off-odors. Upon brewing, the first three infusions yield a bright, ruby-red liquor with a distinct aroma reminiscent of peanut dew. The taste is robust and thick, yet carries a refreshing sweetness and vibrant activity. From the fourth to the eighth infusion, the liquor deepens to a dark, translucent red, offering a mellow, sweet, and smooth flavor with a nuanced complexity. Between the ninth and fifteenth infusions, the tea liquor turns an orange-red, rich in pectin, and stimulates saliva production with a lingering sweet aftertaste. Even after the sixteenth infusion, the liquor remains a clear, orange-yellow, exuding an aged mellowness and a refreshingly sweet character with a long-lasting throat sensation. When simmered, the tea's energy becomes even more pronounced, revealing an intermingling of medicinal, milky, and glutinous rice fragrances. The resulting brew is a brilliant, translucent red with a noticeable golden ring. The entry is sweet and smooth, leading to a long, sweet, and glutinous rice-like aftertaste that soothes both body and mind.

This tea boasts a rich and pure aged aroma, blending notes of wood, camphor, almond, peanut dew, and a subtle hint of milk. When it is cold, it carries a sweet, glutinous rice fragrance. The infused tea leaves are soft, with a steady and settled aroma and an intact structure, reflecting the refinement and precipitation of thirty years. The 1995 vintage Liubao 9501 is a top-tier ripe tea that embodies history, craftsmanship, and a complex flavor profile, making it an ideal choice for experienced tea connoisseurs to treasure and savor slowly.