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"Yellow Buds" Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea

$48.00

A young monk asked his teacher, the wise tea master Lao Cha:

— Shifu, if Buddha were to visit you, what would you treat him to?

— How can I amaze the Enlightened One? Perhaps but only with the Yellow Tea from Huo Mountain... The most delicious, gentle, and rare tea in the world. I’m sure that if Buddha were ever to visit me, it would be solely to get a taste of this tea.

 

Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea comes to life through a unique process that involves "heaping" to yellow the tea leaves. It is lightly fermented and more gentle than green tea.

The fresh tea is hand-picked before Guyu, the 6th period of the traditional Chinese solar calendar, which usually begins around April 19. There are different types of Yellow tea, each having a different picking standard. They may vary from single bud to one bud and four to five leaves. After being wok-fried and baked, fresh leaves are covered in bamboo trays for 24-48 hours. The Huang Ya leaves are baked again over charcoal until 90% dry and softened for 3-7 days. During the last step of making Huang Ya, the tea gets quickly exposed to a charcoal fire to increase the aroma. This step is specifically unique to Lu An teas. The method for Huo Shan Huang Ya tea is someone repeatedly setting the bamboo tray of almost dried leaves over a high fire. He then removes, flips, and repeats for hours.

Huo Shan Huang Ya is a lighter fermented yellow tea with notes resembling green tea, except rounder, sweeter, and less tannic. The strong chestnut flavor is the most significant characteristic of this tea. We strongly recommend using a Gaiwan when brewing to enjoy the strong fragrance and the delicious taste.

Huoshan is a renowned yellow tea-producing area in Anhui province. The "Huoshan County Chronicle" records mention that Huoshan Huang Ya Tea first appeared as early as the Western Han dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD). However, the production process back then was quite different from the Yellow Tea in the present day. Therefore, Huo Shan Huang Ya, which "originated in the Western Han Dynasty", rather refers to a tea made from a specific tree species with yellow leaves. It wasn't until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the current processing took shape. Due to its sweet, refreshing aroma and mellow taste, Huo Shan Huang Ya quickly gained popularity and was listed as a tribute tea. During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), it was already widespread. With the founding of the Chinese People's Republic, tea was a means of exchange and was used in trading with the Soviet Union. However, the Russians mainly drank black tea. Thus, the entire Huoshan area was transformed into a black tea production base. The art of making Yellow Tea was on the verge of extinction. It wasn't until the Sino-Soviet relationship broke down in the Battle of Zhenbao Island in 1969 that the State resumed the production of green and yellow tea in the area. At the same time, two renowned tea scholars and three tea farmers in their 80s and 90s joined forces in a desperate attempt to revive the lost art of making Yellow tea. It took two years of unceasing attempts before the Yellow Tea production process was finally restored. Today, this craft tea is still one of the most rare tea types on the market.

Watch a short video about Yellow Tea

 

  • Place of Origin: Taiyang Village, Huoshan, Anhui Province, China
  • Altitude: 800m
  • Harvest Date: April 2024
  • Picking Standard:  One bud with one leaf, or one bud with two unopened leaves
  • Aroma: Chestnut, slightly grassy
  • Taste: Sweet and nutty; crisp and, at the same time, well-rounded.

Brewing guidelines:

         185℉ / 85℃

 1g per 60ml   3-4min

     1g per 25ml    5sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion


Customer Reviews

Based on 16 reviews
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Anj
Wonderful experience with a new tea

Oh wow! I got this tea a while ago but was saving it for a special occasion and finally tried it yesterday with a group of friends. There are a lot of controversies online with yellow teas, but I think the proof is in the pudding with this one! The distinction from green tea is quite clear when you try it. Upon first impression, the scent of this yellow tea was so much sweeter and fruitier than I expected, with a really pleasant sourness. Like a passionfruit scent. However upon brewing some of these more sour and fruity notes subside and it becomes a smooth and sweet sip. Indeed like candied chestnuts. I brewed it gong fu style and to my surprise, it lasted quite long, I did 10 brews in total although the last couple was a stretch, it still gives a stellar 6-7 brews in my opinion. I think the beauty of the tea leaves themselves and the color of the brew would really benefit from glass teaware or perhaps porcelain. If you have yet to try Yellow Buds, I highly recommend it.

D
Dan G
Nutty smooth and lovely

I’ve been reading about yellow teas and have been wanting to try one for a while. I knew PoC’s would be good, as are all of their teas. This tea reminds me of a Lung Ching with an excellent chestnut flavor but smoother, milder, more delicate and rounded. It’s excellent. Tried gong fu style first and the first 2 steeps were outstanding. After that it got a bit bitter and astringent. Then tried western style and I also got 2 really great steps before it started to get more bitter. I hesitate to say it was the tea though cuz I had a teapot that started going haywire at that time and couldn’t hold a temp right so the water temp could very well have been off, which would certainly affect this delicate tea negatively. I have since gotten a new kettle and I am eager to retry. Even if I still get only 2 steeps though it’s worth it, this tea is delicious and I have really enjoyed it’s addition to my collection.

M
Maya A Sterling
one of my favourite teas!!

At first, this tea was a little too light for me but now I drink it almost every day and it's one of my favorites. I always serve this tea when I have friends over for tea and it's often people's favorite. It's so unique and has a subtle sweetness and similarity to green that I am obsessed with. I will definitely buy this one again and again.

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Grace Speers
Delicious, sweet, special

Interesting tea most like a good green tea. The array of flavors is slightly more profound, aftertaste is sweet. Enjoyed it very much.

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Shane Marl
💛

Went a bit out of the ordinary with this one!
Brewed gong fu style in a teapot, the first few brews were the best. Tasted like candied nuts with an aroma of flower fields. Smooth tea and very mellow. Past the 3rd brew the taste became greener and a lot more like green tea. I loved the new experience but wish this original taste could last longer. Perhaps I need to work on my brewing