Tea: Baxian (Eight Immortals)
Type: Charcoal Roasted Classic Dancong Oolong
Harvest: Spring 2016
Region: Zhuliu Village, Phoenix Village, Guangdong, China
Producers: Wei Household
This is one of the best examples of a Baxian Dancong Oolong we have ever come across. Made of exclusively high-mountain material, from 50+ year old un-pruned trees, it has that characteristic "laocong" or "old bush" aroma and taste. On top of the excellent source material, this tea has been slowly and expertly roasted by our master Wei over a series of months, giving it a deeply permeated roast that never quite dissipates. In addition to, and perhaps in testament of, this exquisite processing, this tea has matured over the past 4 or 5 years into something unlike any other Dancong Oolong we have tried. The roast has turned into a chocolate aroma redolent of finely processed Rougui Rock Oolongs, though the body of the tea remains distinctly dancong.
The aroma off the wet leaves is instantly savory, a perfect balance of vanilla and toasted wood with the sweetness of cocoa hiding in the background. The liquid brew retains a dusty gold throughout the infusions, though is viscous and clean. On the tongue this tea is thick and heavy, coating the mouth and leaving a deep huigan. This tea settles very comfortably in the stomach and it is here that the true joy of this tea takes shape. After a few infusions of this tea, we feel warmed and contented, truly this tea is a marriage between source material, production techniques, and maturation.
Check out the rest of the teas offered by Master Wei!