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Wuyi Da Hong Pao Oolong
Encounter a heart-warming tea container, taking a sip or two of light and elegant tea in the middle of a busy schedule; between touch and vision, clearly comprehend heaven, earth and people of nature and ingenuity.
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Description
- Chinese: wǔ yí shān dà hóng páo yán chá wū lóng chá
- Translation: Wuyi Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong Tea
- Type: Rock Tea (YanCha)
- Cultivar: Dahongpao
- Origin: Wuyi, Fujian, China
- Harvest Date: 2024/07/05
- Storage Methods: Sealed, Prevent moisture, Vacuum, Alone
- Tea Master: Jiang Guiming
- Easily the most famous Wuyi Oolong tea in China, what we know by the name Da Hong Pao Wuyi Oolong is the product of over three hundred years of innovation, studious agriculture, and fantastical lore. Modern Da Hong Pao is a tea maker’s blend of leaves from bushes local to the Wuyi Mountains, where wulong tea was first invented in the 16th century.
- The Wuyi Mountain region is a place with a unique terroir. Locals call it 三坑两涧和马头 – Three Valleys, Two Streams and "Horse Head" Rock. Though not incredibly high, the mountain peaks are always shrouded with fog and mist. The moisture accumulates on the rocky sides of the mountains. It then flows down these rocks to the roots of the tea plants, enriching them with minerals and creating the unique "rocky rhyme" taste for which Wuyi Da Hong Pao is famous.
- The name Da Hong Pao (or “Big Red Robe” in English) has a few different alleged origin stories. Some fabled stories say its tea bushes were so revered that they were cloaked in red robes by imperial officials, while others simply claim the name was a poetic description for the color of local tea bushes when the warm dusk light is cast through their newly grown leaves.
- Whatever the case, for at least the last century, the characters Wuyi Da Hong Pao have been carved into the rock beside the Da Hong Pao original bushes growing in their little cliff terrace garden in Wuyishan. The few bushes in this tiny garden are the ancestral material for the modern Wuyi Da Hong Pao. Through careful reproduction via cuttings, the most hearty and flavorful of these bushes, known as “Qi Dan,” began to be used as the basis for the blend that is known as commodity Da Hong Pao, starting in 1985. The yield of this bush is low, however, and it is now common for commodity Da Hong Pao to be a blend of Rou Gui and Shui Xian and other Wuyi cultivars. It is judged that a Da Hong Pao blend should be greater than the sum of its parts, exhibiting no single character for any one bush, but rather layers of complex and pleasing flavors.
- 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.
- The first roasting is called zou shui bei, which translates literally to “water walk roasting”. This roast is the hottest and will be anywhere between 120-130°C (248-266°F). It usually lasts for about eight hours. Each subsequent roast will have the temperature reduced, but will last slightly longer.
- The tea leaves must be allowed to rest between roastings. This rest period typically lasts anywhere between 25 days and a month. Resting allows moisture to redistribute evenly through the leaves. It also allows some of the sharpness of the freshly fired charcoal smell to dissipate.
- The alternating periods of roasting and resting make for a very long production cycle, so while the Wuyi Da Hong Pao tea is picked in early May, production will not conclude until the end of August. Weather can also add to processing delays since absolutely no roasting is performed on rainy days. This time-consuming traditional roasting technique increases the complexity and depth of the tea’s flavor, which will endure for years in storage.
- The Wuyi Da Hong Pao tea enjoys the highest reputation among oolongs from Northern Fujian. Growing in the famous Wuyi mountain, Da Hong Pao possesses the highly sought-after "Rock Rhyme" (Yan Yun – 岩韵). It refers to the terroir's specifics and how it impacts the tea's taste. The soil's rich mineral content emerges in the intensely orange, clear, and bright tea soup. A pervasive and highly intensive aroma hints at cinnamon and spices. A layered taste gradually unfolds in nuances of sweetness and minerality. Thick, mellow mouthfeel ends in a long and comforting finish down the throat, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste of the unique rocky flavor. The tea tasting of this quality rock tea is truly a feast for the senses.
Wuyi Da Hong Pao Oolong
$7.57
Sample 15g