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Crafting an exquisite tea is an art. True Wuyi Rock Tea is nothing less than a masterpiece.
Savor the rich aroma and taste the skill and technique that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Prized for the unique mineral flavor of the Wuyi Mountain inherent in the leaves of trees grown in rock, Wuyi rock teas have been known around the world for hundreds of years.
Shipped to the American colonies by the British East Indian Tea Company, Wuyi tea was dumped into the Boston Harbor in a rebellious act known as the Boston Tea Party.
The attempts to counterfeit rock teas attests to their popularity, but no counterfeit comes close to matching the bold flavors of the real teas grown in the original rocky soil.
Our teas are grown in the Da Hong Pao Scenic Area in Wuyishan, China. This is the location where monks first perfected the processing and roasting of leaves from six tea trees found growing on a cliff wall in the Wuyi Mountain almost 1200 years ago. The partially oxidized tea they created became known as oolong tea.
Today, leaves that make up our teas are picked by hand in April and processed by hand. Other than the bagging of the tea, there is no automation in the process.
The tea is roasted using lychee charcoal. Lychee charcoal adds no flavor or smoke to the tea. It is said that the drinker can "taste the fire" in newly roasted tea.
Rock tea can be enjoyed as soon as the roasting is finished, but the fire will fade within 6 months after the final roast.
The roasting process is very involved and can last for weeks. The tea may be roasted for several hours, allowed to rest for several days, and then roasted again. Depending on the tea, this could be repeated several times. The tea must be watched during the entire process. The husband and wife who make our tea work in shifts. One watches during the day, the other watches during the night.
The tea must be tasted periodically during the roasting to determine the perfect roasting level. The tea maker can only rely on their experience and knowledge to decide when to end the roasting. Any misstep in the roasting process will result in the inability to sell the tea and wasting up to 4 months of work. In August, the teas are ready to be sold.
The flavor of rock tea is in constant change, making it perfect for aging. Simply storing the tea in a dark, cool area will allow the flavor to change noticeably every couple of months.
The use of chemical pesticide and chemical fertilizer is forbidden in the Da Hong Pao Scenic Area making these teas organic.
The name Da Hong Pao once referred to leaves harvested from the original six Wuyi trees. Since 2007, harvesting from them has been forbidden. True Da Hong Pao tea sells for well over $1000 per gram. Da Hong Pao selling for a more reasonable price, including ours, is a blend of currently grown Wuyi rock teas.
Cuttings from the original trees have be propagated. One of which is called Bei Dou.
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