WuYi Yancha: Peng Pei Da Hong Pao

On October 18, 2014, I had an opportunity to join Andy Buckman - owner of Great Horse Teas on a 2-week tea-sourcing trip to SE China, including Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Wuyishan. As a photographer and avid tea-drinker, I was overwhelmed by countless tea shops, tea wares, fields and farms. Perhaps more than any other place, I was especially intrigued by the mystical Wuyi Moutains - the birthplace of Wulong tea. It was there that we got to see the original 300-400 year-old Da Hong Pao tea bushes:

The first thing that struck me about Wuyishan was how clean and fresh it was; The ideal environment for growing tea. We visited a family-owned and operated tea farm and tasted 6 different varieties of Yancha (rock tea) - Bai Ji Guan, Jin Que She, Jin Mu Dan, Qi Lan, Shui Xian, and Da Hong Pao. For this review, I'll be focusing on the most well known - the Emperor of Tea: Da Hong Pao, AKA "Big Red Robe".

The twisted leaves are dark brown and nicely roasted, with a woody/nutty cocoa aroma. I used the brewing method most commonly seen in Wuyishan city: 8 grams of leaf in a gaiwan with spring water around 200°F, with short steeps starting under 10 seconds. Normally, I'd start with 5g of leaf and slightly cooler water, but the steepings are shorter and WuYi Yancha can take the heat surprising well.

Following a standard leaf rinse, the first steep produced a rich, golden-orange liquor that matched the handle of my pitcher to a tee (see what I did there?)

The only thing more enticing that its appearance is the way it smells: amazing! Rich and slightly earthy, with strong hints of roasted cocoa.

A taste of the tea confirms it: mellow, rich and roasted, with woody, nutty and faint fruit notes - a delicious harmony of flavors. A sweet aftertaste lingers in the back of the throat.

By the 3rd steeping, the flavors really peak, and the tea becomes even sweeter, with hints of cinnamon emerging. This tea also has excellent 茶氣 (chá qì) - tea "energy". With hotter water and a lot of leaf, I'm able to get 8-10 solid steeps - quite generous. Upon inspection of the steeped leaves, they are nice and full, and very uniform.

I remember immediately liking this tea from the first sip in Wuyishan, China - and every cup from now on will bring back memories from that amazing trip. There will always be a place on my tea shelf for Da Hong Pao, and this particular one does its name justice.

For more information, or to purchase this tea, visit www.GreatHorseTeas.com