China Oolong Tea Da Hong Pao #1
Da Hong Pao is a Wuyi rock tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province, China. Da Hong Pao has unique orchid fragrance and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. Dry Da Hong Pao has a shape like tightly knotted ropes or slightly twisted strips, and is green and brown in color. After brewing, the tea is orange-yellow, bright and clear. Da Hong Pao can retain its flavor for nine steepings.
The best way to brew Da Hong Pao is by using a Purple Clay Teapot and 100 °C (212 °F) water. Purified water is considered the best choice to brew Da Hong Pao. After boiling, the water should be immediately used. Boiling the water for a long time or storing it for a long time after boiling will influence the taste of the Da Hong Pao. The third and fourth steeping are considered to have the best taste.
The best Da Hong Pao are from the mother Da Hong Pao tea trees. Mother Da Hong Pao tea trees have thousand years of history. There are only 6 mother trees remaining on the stiff cliff of Jiulongyu , which is considered a rare treasure. Because of its scarcity and superior tea quality, Da Hong Pao is known as the “King of Tea”. It is also often known to be extremely expensive. In 2006, the Wuyi city government insured these 6 mother trees with a value of 100 million RMB. In the same year, the Wuyi city government also decided to prohibit anyone from privately collecting teas from the mother Da Hong Pao tea trees.
The large dark leaves brew bright orange soup that demonstrate a lasting flowery fragrance of orchid. Enjoy a sophisticated, complex flavour with woody roast, aroma of orchid flowers, finished with subtle caramelised sweetness. Hints of peach compote and dark molasses carry through on the palate, with each steep producing a slightly different evolution of flavor.
