2020/2025 Sun-dried Tangerine Liu Bao Dark Tea

This Sun-dried Tangerine Liu Bao is made by filling Liu Bao tea into small green tangerines sourced from Pubei County, Guangxi Province, then sun-drying the filled fruit in 2025. The tea base is a 2020 premium-grade Liu Bao, produced from Cangwu Quntizhong (heirloom variety) trees using modern cold-water pile fermentation, and recognized in the 2023 Global Liu Bao Tea Evaluation for modern-process teas.

The production emphasizes gradual, natural integration of tea and citrus through a multi-stage workflow: staggered fruit harvesting across three daily time windows (morning dew, midday sun, evening cool) to preserve vitality; careful fruit selection; washing and surface drying; removal of pulp; drying of the peel; gentle filling with tea; steaming to reduce greenness; ventilation cooling; repeated sun-drying and turning for even exposure; resting to lower internal temperature; sealed storage to concentrate citrus aroma; and longer-term settling. Sun-drying, rather than oven-drying, preserves volatile citrus oils and creates the distinctive “sun-yard” warmth that many drinkers associate with premium Xiao Qing Gan.

In the cup, the tea shows a clearly articulated progression described by the producer as “bright → mellow-sweet → warm return.” Aromatically, it opens with lifted citrus peel, transitions into Chinese date sweetness and sticky rice warmth, and finishes with a lingering grain-husk note. The liquor is smooth, layered, and warming, with a distinctive sun-dried honey-grain character that sets it apart from oven-dried citrus teas.