Pull out a map. Follow the middle segment of the Yangtze River down from Chongqing to the Pacific Ocean. Every hill or mountainous area that touches or comes near the river's path is home to tea. In almost all such places, you can find red tea in abundance and variety, yet they are not teas usually on any tea lover's radar. One may forget that Hankow (Wuhan) once eclipsed Fuzhou as the central port of China's red tea trade, and that Keemun was perhaps the most well-known Chinese tea in the world for a time.
With all that in mind, this sampler is designed to give you a comprehensive taste of some new and old red teas of the region. In this sampler, you will get 20 grams of the following for a total of 100 grams and 1 Antique Grain Ration Ticket:
Old Factory Keemun (Qimen, Anhui)
Robust continuation of the Keemun that once won the loyalty of millions for its crisp, strong, and balanced flavor from a faithful son of the old factory.
Swirled Keemun (Qimen, Anhui)
This is a young master's take on Keemun. It has a sweeter and nuttier notes more characteristic of a modern Chinese red tea, but still packs a punch like this tea should.
Firework Red (Yangzhou, Jiangsu)
Sweet and fruity, this is a red tea more in line with the Oolong-inspired red tea experiments now popular in Fujian.
Old Path Yihong (Hefeng, Hubei)
Smooth and Chocolately, this is a classic offering from us that is a warming and simple red tea for any winter occasion.
Witch Broom Red (Baojing, Hunan)
One of our most requested red teas, this is a light and bright late season pick in a unique shape that has great florality zero bitterness.
1 Wuhan Grain Ration Ticket
Between 1955 and 1993, if you were loading up tea at the docks in Wuhan, you would have needed to spend grain ration tickets like these if you wanted to eat. We will include one genuine grain ration ticket with every order as a fun piece of history.
