Basket-Aged Liu Bao Dark Tea
Camphor, wood and dried fruit from Liu Bao aged in a bamboo basket, the traditional Guangxi way.
Basket-aged Liu Bao is tea that has spent its years packed into a large bamboo basket, the traditional container of Guangxi dark tea.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 32 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 13.3 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Gaiwan or Mug |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:20 |
| Leaf & water per infusion | 5g → 100g |
| Grind size | Loose or Compressed Leaf |
| Water temperature | 212°F / 100°C |
| Target brew time | 15-20 seconds for the first infusions, plus about 10 seconds each round |
| Serving used for caffeine | 8 oz cup (240ml) — see the mug or teapot version below |
What you need
- 5 g compressed or loose dark tea
- 100 g filtered water at 100°C
Required gear
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Warm the gaiwan or pot with hot water and discard it. Add 5 g of leaf and smell the warmed leaf before brewing.
- 0:20Rinse: cover with water at 100°C and pour off immediately. This wakes the leaf; do not drink it.
- 0:40First infusion — pour off after 15 seconds, decanting completely.
- 1:20Second infusion, 20 seconds.
- 2:05Third infusion, 25 seconds. From here add about 10 seconds each round.
- 2:55Keep going until the liquor pales — good leaf gives ten or more infusions.
Brewing it in a mug or teapot
The gongfu method above packs a lot of leaf into a small vessel. This version is for a 240 ml cup — the serving the caffeine figure describes.
- Leaf
- 2 g
- Water
- 240 ml
- Temperature
- 212°F / 100°C
- Steep
- about 3 minutes
- 0:00Warm the mug or teapot with hot water and pour it away, so the brewing water does not lose heat to cold ceramic.
- 0:15Add 2 g of leaf.
- 0:30Rinse: cover the leaf with water at 100°C and pour it off after a few seconds. Do not drink it.
- 0:50Pour 240 g of water at 100°C over the leaf, cover, and start the timer.
- 3:50Lift the leaf out or pour the tea off the leaf completely. Leaf left in the cup keeps extracting and turns the last mouthful bitter.
Liu Bao is forgiving: guides brew it grandpa style, 2 to 3 g in a large mug topped up with hot water. The same leaf gives several more cups.
What it may be good for
Caffeine, in numbers
We list about 32 mg for an 8 oz cup.
Loosening a basket tea
Tea from a large basket can come out as a firm block. Work a pu-erh knife or needle along the layers instead of crushing the leaf, and take about 5 g for a 100 ml gaiwan. One or two short rinses is normal for compressed tea.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you.
Basket-aged Liu Bao is tea that has spent its years packed into a large bamboo basket, the traditional container of Guangxi dark tea. The basket lets the tea breathe slowly while it ages, and the cup shows camphor, a faint wood note and dried fruit. Brewed with boiling water.
Origin & Story
The basket is the point. After steaming, Liu Bao is traditionally pressed into large bamboo baskets, packed tightly around the outside and a little looser in the middle, and the baskets hold from about 40 to 60 kg of tea. Bamboo lets air and moisture pass slowly, which is how the tea inside ages.
The old way was patient. Baskets were stored in air-raid tunnels for several years and moved to warehouses after the first one to three years. Today most Liu Bao is made in baskets of about 1 kg, so a big traditional basket has become something of a collector's format.
What goes into the basket is made carefully. The leaf is pan-fired, rolled and piled to turn its scent from sharp to sweet, then steamed to make it pliable again. Liu Bao used to be steamed three times before it was packed; since the second half of the 20th century it has usually been steamed once.
In the cup, a basket-aged Liu Bao shows the family traits: camphor in older tea, a faint wood note, dried fruit and a lasting sweetness after a slight bitterness, in a red-brown liquor. The basket names the container, not the age, so look for the year of pressing as well as the word basket.
Break about 5 g from the block, rinse it in a 100 ml gaiwan with boiling water for five seconds, pour the first infusion off at 15 to 20 seconds and lengthen each round by ten seconds, or brew 2 g in 240 ml of boiling water for three minutes.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 74/100 |
| Acidity | 20/100 |
| Bitterness | 28/100 |
| Body | 84/100 |
| Aroma | 92/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Basket-Aged Liu Bao Dark Tea?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 32 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Basket-Aged Liu Bao Dark Tea?
Target 100°C (212°F).
How long should Basket-Aged Liu Bao Dark Tea be extracted?
Timing: 15-20 seconds for the first infusions, plus about 10 seconds each round. Method: Gaiwan or Mug. Ratio: 5g per 100ml water (gaiwan). Grind or leaf format: Loose or Compressed Leaf.
Why does my Basket-Aged Liu Bao Dark Tea taste bitter?
In gongfu, bitterness comes from pours that run too long or from too little leaf for the vessel. Keep the early infusions short, pour the tea off the leaf completely every time, and fill the gaiwan or pot generously; an under-filled vessel tastes thin and tannic rather than gentle.
Why is Liu Bao packed in baskets?
The bamboo basket is the traditional container of Liu Bao. After steaming, the leaf is pressed into large baskets of roughly 40 to 60 kg, and bamboo lets air and moisture pass slowly while the tea ages.
How long was Liu Bao aged in baskets?
Traditionally for years. Baskets were stored in tunnels for several years and moved to warehouses after the first one to three years. Today a first aging can last just months, and the rest is up to the buyer.
Is basket-aged the same as aged Liu Bao?
Not quite. Basket-aged names the container and aged names the time. A tea can be aged in a basket, a box or a cake wrapper, so check the year of pressing as well as the packaging.
Who should avoid Basket-Aged Liu Bao Dark Tea?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Plain Porcelain Gaiwan, 110 ml
In this recipe: Gaiwan or small clay pot, 100–150 ml
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