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"Red Dragon" Hong Long Black Tea

$30.00

One fine day, after a deep morning meditation up in the mountains of Yunnan, the Wise Tea Master Lao Cha spoke to his disciples:

— Being present in the moment doesn't mean forgetting about your past or not caring about the future. It is simply being. Let the Red Dragon show you.

The young monks each took a sip of Red Dragon Black Tea. Flowing through them, it showed its past, the ancient Yunnan soils in which the tea grew. The future, the innovative use of modern tea cultivars. Then, it settled in the now, the soothing energy of invigorating black tea.

 

Deep in the mountains of China's southern province Yunnan, tea partners Mr. Zhang and Mr. Yang love experimenting with Taiwanese cultivars on Yunnan soil, creating new and unique teas.

This time, the masterful tea artisans took two well-known tea cultivars: Jin Xuan, best known for the famous Milk Oolong, and Ruan Zhi (also known as Qing Xin) – one of the highest quality and most popular Taiwanese cultivars, used for producing many high-mountain oolong teas (Gao Shan), such as Dong Ding or Li Shan.

Mr.Yang and Mr.Zhang transplanted the two Taiwanese cultivars into the rich Yunnan soil – full of history, minerals, and mystical energy that any tea enthusiast taking a sip of Yunnan tea may feel.

 

Mr.Young and Mr.Zhang

Mr. Yang & Mr. Zhang 

 

The multi-layered combination of the Taiwanese oolong tea cultivars, Yunnan terroir, and Chinese black tea processing produced a tea truly incomparable to any other. Many layers come into play here — the sweet creaminess of the Jin Xuan cultivar, the unforgettable floral and fruity scents of the Ruan Zhi, and the maltiness of a skillfully processed Hong Cha. The tea craftsmen process this Chinese black tea in the traditional Yunnan manner and ferment it in small bamboo baskets.

The resulting "Red Dragon" Hong Long Black Tea is incredibly rich with bright notes of tropical fruits. When brewing the tea according to the ways of Gong Fu Cha, the first few brews will be floral and incredibly aromatic. Then, you'll get an unmistakable taste of fruits, like lychee and red berries, starting from the third brew and up. The brews are tied together by an overall elegance that Chinese black tea brings — sweet and malty, with dark cocoa tones.

 

Tea plantation

The tea garden of Yang & Zhong

 

Dahei Mountain rises at more than 2600 meters above sea level in Yunnan province, near the border with Burma. It is blessed with abundant rainfall and green peaks. Many consider this ancient forest being the best preserved in the border area. The entire region enjoys a wild and pristine landscape. The dense forest is a unique biodiversity mix between broad-leaved species and ancient tea trees. Here, people discovered the largest tea tree ever measured - a giant arbor 20m high, 1,9m in diameter, with a crown surface of 78.5 sq. meters. The wild tea trees are tall, arbor-shaped, with trunks covered in moss. The local Lahu people usually climb tall branches to collect the leaves. A walk in this ancient forest wakes up the senses and lets you smell the unique fragrance of pure tea, as nature intended it.


Place of Origin: Dahei Shan, Yunnan 
• Altitude: 2000m
Harvest Date: April 2024
• Picking Standard: One bud and two leaves
Aroma: Fruity
Taste: Flowery at first and fruity on later infusions. Long lingering finish
Tea Species: Xiao Ye Zhong (小叶种)
Cultivar: Jin Xuan & Ruan Zhi

 

Brewing guidelines:

        195℉ / 90℃  

1g per 50ml   3-4min

     1g per 20ml   5sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion

Customer Reviews

Based on 10 reviews
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f
faiza mahmoud
my first black tea

excellent tea. reminded me of fruity oxidized oolong. highly recommend

A
A.H.
#1

This tea man, I’m addicted to it. It is always a must on my orders. Sadly I’ve drink thru most of it and will have get more be try soon. I could drink and smell this tea every day. The smell is the best part, soo addictive. Just keep brewing steeps to get another hit of that sweet smell!!!

L
LesC
A wild ride

From the start, I felt I was being invited on a ride in an old convertible, as I journeyed to China Town, picking up heady scents of salt sea air & menthol. That menthol, man. I had to climb right in the back seat with my arms folded stiffly across my chest. But there were so many other flavors, like strange spices, Chinese dried fruits, a sense of bitter something, then a shift into tea roses that reminded me of Turkish Delight, that I was soon leaning on the back of the front seats wondering where we were going next. I found tangerines & oranges, & hints of pineapple, before returning once more to the Chinese herbalist shop, with it's menthol, polished floors, old leather, & roses by the door. At this point, though, I'd moved into the front seat & was thoroughly enjoying the ride. This tea also goes on for a while, tells many stories, & left me with a long-lasting after-taste of orange on my tongue. Not your usual Hong Cha, that's for sure!

J
Jose

Incredible flavor.

J
Jose

Incredible flavor.