Laochapo, meaning Old Tea Granny, is a catch-all term for the most mature pick of tea in Liubao Township. These older, thicker, tougher leaves are similar to what may be called "Huangpian" in other regions. Processed as a Liubao tea, they start out as would any late season green tea, but can traditionally undergo steps like scalding, piling, and sundrying that produce final flavor unlike anything else.
In this box, we give a comparison of two Laochapo in very different stages of aging.
25 grams of both the following tea, for a grand total of 50 grams, will be provided in this comparison.
Learn more about Liubao teas here, and dark tea tasting here.
2025 Winter Pick (Chen Family, Liubao Village)
This is freshly picked, processed, and dried tea that was finished around December 15th in Liubao Village. It has not to develop the molds or insect presence that usualy help age the tea. This tea is still largely green, crisp, and a little medicinal, brewing up like the weirdest cucumber you have ever eaten. It is refreshing, a little energizing, and pleasantly strange. Although it is fresh, we still recommend rinsing it twice.
2007 Aged Chongshicha (Wei Family, Gongping Village )
This tea absolutely deserves the double rinse. It is the final goal of all Laochapo: earthy but not mildewy, medicinal, and sweet in ways that tea seldom is, as if someone has spiked some dark tea with root beer or licorice. It has also been partially consumed and re-exereted by a particularly tea-loving variety of local moth. Although not as devoured as finest Chongshicha or "bug shit tea," the moths' little contributions to the final product is obvious at first glance.
