This tea is from wild tea trees in the forests of the Lin Cang region. Usually, the high-quality leaf material from these trees is used to produce puerh, but in this case it is crafted into this wonderful black tea. Since these trees are not maintained “tea garden style”, they are not subject to fertilizers, pesticides, and the like. The local people pluck the flushing new growth during the tea season to provide the leaf material for this tea. Although Yunnan Black Tea has been produced primarily for export since the early 20^th century, black tea made from this particular tea varietal is quite popular domestically.

Provenance:

• Origin: Bai Ying, Lin Cang area, Yunnan, China
• Grower/Teamaster: Han Feng Qing
• Harvest Date: April 2018
• Cultivar: Camellia Taliensis, Yunnan Big Leaves Tea Tree
• Cultivation: Natural (Organic, no cert.)
• Plucking Standard: 2 open leaves
• Processing Notes: 
• Nickname: Old Tree Yunnan. This is a Dian Hong, or “heavenly” black (dian being an old nickname for Yunnan)³
• History/Pedigree:

Brewing Suggestions¹:

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

Tasting Notes:

• Floral aroma with a smooth, sweet body and complex finish.

¹ Brewing suggestions are just that. Try it the suggested way then experiment. If you are steeping at the low end of the range, I would definitely try a few infusions. 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.

³ James Norwood Pratt. Tea Dictionary. Tea Society Press 2010.