Northern Song Dynasty Tribute Tea Shi Ru Black Tea Traditional Charcoal Roasted

The Legend of Shi Ru—Reimagined.

In the mist-shrouded cliffs of the Wuyi Mountains, there is a carving that has watched over tea pickers for centuries: "石乳留香" (Shí Rǔ Liú Xiāng)—"Stone Milk Leaves Fragrance Behind" . This is the spiritual home of Shi Ru, one of the oldest and most revered cultivars in the Wuyi Oolong canon, a tea so precious it was reserved for Song Dynasty emperors as a tribute tea from the Beiyuan Imperial Tea Garden .

Today, we present something unprecedented. We have taken this ancient, near-forgotten Shi Ru Oolong cultivar—known for its legendary creamy texture—and processed it not as a traditional rock tea, but as a full-oxidation Black Tea.

The result is a tea that bridges two worlds: the "Rock Rhyme" (Yan Yun) mineral complexity of a true Wuyi heritage bush, with the comforting, approachable depth of a single-origin Black Tea. It is, quite simply, Rock Milk Tea in its most literal and luxurious form.

Historical Background
Song Ding said, "Shiru emerges from the broken cliffs and gaps in the rocks of Heyuan (a place name), truly possessing the ethereal essence of plants." This describes its origin from the broken cliffs and gaps in the rocks of Heyuan (a place name), like milk flowing from the cracks in the rocks, representing the essence of plants and conveying a sense of otherworldly grace.

Among the tribute teas from Beiyuan during the Song Dynasty, Shiru (Stone Milk) was ranked alongside Dragon Tea and Phoenix Tea as a top-grade imperial tea, and was especially favored by the royal family. According to the "Record of Tribute Teas from Beiyuan during the Xuanhe Era," "There is a type of tea that grows on rocky cliffs, with particularly lush branches and leaves. In the early years of the Zhidao era (995-997), an imperial edict ordered its production, and it was also known as Shiru."

Emperor Huizong of Song highly praised Shiru tea: "The best tea is one with good taste, fragrant, sweet, rich, and smooth, which is the essence of tea. Only the tea from Beiyuan Heyuan combines all these qualities." At that time, the royal family had a great fondness for and valued Shi Ru, and used "Shi Ru" directly as a synonym for Wuyi rock tea.

It is made using the traditional Song Dynasty dragon and phoenix cake technique, and its spherical shape is a one-to-one imitation of Northern Song Dynasty oolong tea. The main characteristics are a heavy kneading and shaking process. With a mellow "medium-high roasting" flavor, its most outstanding quality is the rich woody notes of century-old famous pine trees, accompanied by a cool, mossy aroma, and a subtle fragrance of honey orchid.