I don’t have much experience with young liu bao. This one strikes me as above average production with very good longevity and complexity, but time is going to be the judge of that ultimately.
At the moment, the dry leaves have a fairly strong fermentation aroma, which, after the rinse, turns into an earthy, woody and slightly sweet mix with a nice lichen note.
The taste is more savoury and medicinal than other liu bao I’ve had. It does have the characteristic earthy and nutty notes, as well as the woody sweetness to a lesser extent, but they don’t dominate the experience. On top, there is also an interesting floral kind of bitterness a bit in the way of endive and mint. Hints of dry wood smoke and honey can be also found underneath.
The liquor has a very smooth, creamy texture that has a palpable thickness to it and induces a faint numbing sensation. Aftertaste is dominated by woody sweetness that really comes to the fore over time.
Flavors: Bitter, Earth, Forest Floor, Honey, Medicinal, Mint, Moss, Nutty, Peat, Smoke, Smooth, Sweet, Thick, Umami, Wood
