Bold, lavish, floral with lingering minerality

Da Hong Pao holds weighty history in Chinese tea and much excitement around its folklore. The name Da Hong Pao (“Great Red Robe”) is derived from various tales which involve six tea bushes that hang halfway off a cliff behind the ancient Tian Xin Yong Le Temple on Wu Yi Shan (mountain). Da Hong Pao is the only blend among China’s famous teas with its own designated name. Tea from Wu Yi Shan is also referred to as Yan Cha or Cliff Tea since it is a rocky, mountainous area and its soil is known to be rich in minerals.

Da Hong Pao is the commercial name for blended Yan Cha and is a combination of multiple varietals balancing texture and aroma. The picking grade is 3-5 leaves with medium to large openings. Since only leaves are used in the crafting, it is harvested later in the Spring than most other teas. Its extensive and complex processing will take many months with the finished Yan Cha arriving in Autumn. The roasting process is skillfully done on very dim charcoal ash for 8-12 hours for 1-3 times with weeks of rest in between, all depending on the varietal. This produces a dark color with that toasty and natural sweetness.

This vintage is a custom made batch blended by award winning family farms.

Health benefits: includes Catechins and Epicatechins which are antioxidants. These compounds belong to a group of plant chemicals called Flavonoids. This oolong tea is rich in polyphenols, a natural antioxidant. The amino acid L- Theanine is also present. Caffeine is present in Da Hong Pao.