This tea is created from a high-altitude cultivar of mao feng grown in the Wu Liang mountains of Simao Prefecture. The pairing of cultivar with expert processing results in a black tea with a unique taste and aroma. Mr. Kin uses a special technique to briefly oxidize the leaves during the wilting phase before completing the rest of the black tea processing steps.

Provenance:

• Origin: Wayaotian, Wu Liang Mtns., Simao Prefecture, Yunnan, China
• Grower/Teamaster: Mr. Zhang Li Kun
• Elevation: 1800 meters
• Harvest Date: Spring 2024
• Cultivar: Yun Kang #32 Mao Feng
• Plucking Standard: 1 leaf/1bud
• Processing Notes:  picking, wilting, frying, rolling, wilting, drying in wok by hand
• Nickname: “Hong” is a word for red in Mandarin, thus hong cha for red tea. Red tea in China = Black tea in the West

Brewing Suggestions¹:

• Water: 190-200˚F
• Tea: 2g per 4oz of water (about a loose level 1 ½ TB²)
• Infusion: 3-5 minutes with 2-3 infusions possible

Tasting Notes:

• Floral and fruity aroma and taste with hints of caramelized sugar and dry wood, especially at a 4 minute initial infusion.

¹ Brewing suggestions are just that. Try it the suggested way then experiment. In this case I suggest first experimenting with the infusions. I found the 3-minute infusion to be sweetest. Also, I usually did a “1/2” infusion on the second round, meaning I used half the amount of water used on the initial infusion. For a stronger cup use more leaves and/or longer infusion times. Some tea drinkers like to use slightly hotter and longer times for each subsequent infusion.

² Weighing your tea is always the best way to control your dosage. I provide approximate volume measures for convenience but they can be problematic due to the variance in tea leaf shape and size. It’s best to use the single appropriate volume measure for the tea, i.e., don’t try to measure 1.5TB using two spoons meant to measure 1 TB and a ½ TB. Use an actual 1.5 TB measuring spoon. Yes, they make them! I like the oblong ones to handle longer leaf styles.