Aged Da Hong Pao, Wuyi Yancha, 2014

2014, Da Hong Pao, which translates to “Big Red Robe,” is the most famous oolong harvested in Wuyi Mountain. As with any celebrated Chinese tea, having the opportunity to drink a high-grade selection is a transformative experience.

 In the 1980’s Da Hong Pao was successfully cultivated artificially, and the asexually reproducing Da Hong Pao maintained the characteristics of the original thousand year old tree. The processing technology of the leaves is very fine and includes sun drying, killing the green, greening, frying, initial kneading, re-frying, re-kneading, baking, sorting, cooling, sorting, and so forth. It is an involved process of traditional craftsmanship. 

This rare, aged tea enjoys memorable notes of cacao, and vine fruit followed by a lasting honeysuckle finish and unmistakable mineral quality of rock tea.

The term ‘Rock Tea’, or Yancha (yan ‘rock’ cha ‘tea’) refers to oolong teas from the Wuyi Mountains. The terrain of this mountainous region is rocky, and the terroir imparts a distinct mineral note to the teas. 

Origin: Wu Yi Shan, Fujian Province, China 

Harvest: April-May 2014

Elevation: 600m.