Da Hong Pao is the most famous of the celebrated varieties of yan cha. Da Hong Pao oolong was an imperial favorite during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and today it is still renowned throughout China for its deep, rich flavor. Four ancient Da Hong Pao tea bushes still grow in an outcropping that is located alongside a steep cliff wall in the Wu Yi Shan. But leaf from these bushes is not plucked for commercial sale – Da Hong Pao for sale today is plucked from tea bushes that are the cultivated offspring of other auspicious and reputable old tea bush lines.
Our Da Hong Pao 9-Year-Aged oolong is unique because of the time it has spent maturing in perfect storage conditions. Certain oolongs benefit from ‘resting ‘ or ‘maturing’ (provided the conditions are conducive to improving the taste of the tea). Putting certain oolongs away to rest and age is not a concept that is talked about much in the West – in fact, the idea of aging tea is virtually unknown here. But Asian tea enthusiasts will often select an aged tea – when possible – for the complex and rewarding taste that it will offer.
This, our newest Da Hong Pao, is extremely straight-forward on the one hand, and yet complex on the other. It has a dryness and clarity that an aged tea shows so well, and each infusion brings a new dimension of flavor to the fore. The floral nature of this tea is barely noticeable; in fact, the stony backbone of this tea tempers its sweetness perfectly. Tea Trekker’s Da Hong Pao 9-Year-Aged oolong is full and rich and without astringency. It is drinking very well now and will continue to do so for many years.
Want to know more?
China’s Famous Tea
New Tea, Rested Tea & Aged Tea
Wu Yi Shan Oolong: yan cha