2000 Lucky Brand Daughter Tribute Shou Brick

2000 Lucky Brand Daughter Tribute Shou Brick

This is a well-aged expression of shou puer.

According to my source, this shou puer brick was pressed in 2000 under the Lucky Brand (吉幸牌). I am not familiar with this particular production, so I can’t independently verify whether it is in fact a Lucky Brand production. For me, much more important than provenance is how the tea performs in the cup.

Made primarily from tippy material, which is consistent with other Daughter teas I’ve encountered. These teas tend to use finer, more tender leaf material. In my experience, shou puer made primarily from tippy material also tends to be concentrated and strong, which is certainly the case here.

The tea brews up super dark pretty much from the get-go. The flavor is sweet and medicinal, with a noticeable bitterness. In Taiwan, this falls into the 參香 (shēnxiāng), or ginseng aroma, category. That said, I wouldn’t want to reduce the tea to this descriptor alone. It has its own character as a well-aged shou puer.

The flavor is clean and well-defined, with good depth and complexity. This is in large part due to the clean storage. The wet-piling aroma is all but gone, with none of the unpleasant dankness that can sometimes be found in aged shou.

The texture is smooth, creamy, and oily, coating the mouth and throat. There is a noticeable aftertaste and lingering sweetness. One may also notice a subtle cooling sensation on the breath.

The tea has a powerful, full-body energy that would work well in a more focused session, but it is also affordable enough to be enjoyed more casually. Given its strength, I would avoid overbrewing or overdrinking this one. 

This tea was also tested for pesticide residues, and none were detected.

As far as shou puer from 2000 goes, this is very much the type of tea I’m looking for: clean storage, good material, depth, and a well-developed aged character. That’s why I’m excited to add it to the Journey Teas catalog.