The East is Red
One River Tea
Regular price
$22.00
Sale
Tasting Notes: Toasted oats, malted barley, pine sap, cedar wood, sage, cream
Dong fang Hong has a sweet and savory aroma reminiscent of toasted oats or malted barley. There is a warmth to the brew that is very drinkable, the mouthfeel thick and soothing on the throat. The slow charcoal roast, the old bush minerals, and the green leaf nuances all find noticeable places in the brew. The liquor is a deep gold that gets paler and sweeter with each brew. Due to the old bush and deep roast, the huigan is thick and pronounced. The empty cup has a strong mineral rich aroma like rain on dry stone.
The East is Red is a very popular revolutionary song from Maoist China, and this tea is an homage to that tune and its time.
During the Maoist Era, all the villages in the present day Phoenix Township of Eastern Guangdong were organized into a single massive commune - for two decades this commune produced virtually all of China's Dancong Tea. Although the commune has been defunct now for almost forty years and many of the innovations of that time (including dual-hand picking) have largely disappeared, one tea variety has stood the test of time: "Dongfanghong" AKA the East is Red. This tea was first developed and produced commercially during the height of the Cultural Revolution and has remained in production ever since, though grown now on a relatively small scale.