Saturday, March 15, 2014

2004 Xiaguan Gold Ribbon Tuo







Xiaguan introduced the gold ribbon 100g tuo in 2004.  The box that came with the 1st production in 2004  was a light brown in color, but subsequent productions post 2004 saw the boxes packaged in bright yellow colors.  

Xiaguan gold ribbon tuo (yes, note the gold ribbon that comes with each tuo) was a success with pu erh tea drinkers throughout the world.  This raw pu erh, compressed to a bird nest shaped cake (called tuo) has been produced on a yearly basis ever since.  Today, older versions command higher prices and are a little hard to find.  

Yunnan Sourcing, a popular online Chinese tea store describe this tea as

"The "Gold Ribbon" blend was first introduced in 2004, when it was a special order production for a large Guangzhou Xiaguan wholesaler. Using superior material from Wu Liang, Yun Xian, and Yun Long mountains, and carefully blended to be full of aroma and cha qi. This has now becomea classic premium blend from Xiaguan! The boxes protect the tea from fluctuations in temperature and humidity giving the tea a stable environment perfect for aging!"

I find the gold ribbon tuo very pleasant to drink.  It's aroma is like a bouquet of flowers which makes this tea a very refreshing beverage. This tea is non smoky, quite a surprise that Xiaguan is renowned for their smoky pu erh.   This 10 year old tuo now has a hint of sandalwood scent in the tea which adds complexity to the taste and aroma to this tuo.  Nice.  I note that this 10 year old tea brews  fast and strong and I would suggest using lesser tea leaves when you brew this Xiaguan tea.  

No comments: