"Snow Dragon" Xue Long Green Tea

— Oh Wise Tea Master Lao Cha, where can I find a green tea that is so bold and mighty, full of vigor like a dragon mastering snowy mountain peaks?

Lao Cha answers:

— High up in the mountains of Yunnan, the craftsmen meticulously pick the young leaves of an ancient tea tree, Da Ye Zhong. With their wide trunks and big leaves, these trees have inherited years of wisdom and strength from the mountains.

"Snow Dragon" Xue Long Green Tea is a rare tea that isn't well-known outside China yet. The sweet taste is ideal for those people who prefer not to have a very green and grassy green tea. The brewed tea is a delicate champagne color with a thick, full-bodied mouthfeel and a bright, fruity aroma. The lingering taste is sweet and creamy.

Our Xue Long Green Tea is an authentic high mountain tea growing 1300 meters above sea level in the Yunnan mountains surrounding Pu'er City. The high elevations mean that our Xue Long is indeed an organic tea since there is no need for pesticides at such high elevations. The "Xue" in the name means "snow" in Chinese, referring to the abundant white fuzz on the tea leaves. At the same time, the "long" means "dragon", like in Long Jing Green Tea.

To make this delicious tea, farmers ensure to hand-pick one bud with one leaf of the Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica tea tree variety. They then wither the tea leaves for a minimum of 10 hours, steam, roll and dry them. Finally, the tea artisans shape the tea leaves by hand into their iconic form. The meticulous craftsmanship gives this green tea richness and complexity, unlike other green teas. Many even compare its taste and mouthfeel to a high mountain oolong.

In Chinese, we refer to Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica as Da Ye Zhong, meaning "big leaf". Indeed, this tea tree variety is known for its larger tea leaves. Furthermore, the trees grow large and tall when left to grow wildly, with solid and robust tree trunks. It's certainly quite rare to use Da Ye Zhong for green tea production. This unique combination of the tea cultivar and the Yunnan terroir produces Chinese green tea like no other.

This tea variety is known to have a somewhat higher caffeine content than Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis (the tea bush most often used for Chinese tea production outside of Yunnan). Thus, Snow Dragon Green Tea is an excellent tea that helps you focus, providing soothing, calm energy.

This Yunnan tea is not as delicate as most other Chinese green teas, which means tea enthusiasts can have some fun playing around with it when it comes to tea brewing. Don't be shy to try out various brewing vessels and steep times. You'll also find that it's excellent as a refreshing cold brew tea.

• Place of Origin: Zhengwan Village, Pu'er, Simao, Yunnan, China
• Altitude: 1300m
• Harvest Date: April 2023
• Picking Standard: One bud & one leaf
• Dry Leaf: pointy tea leaves covered in abundant white fuzz
• Aroma: fruity
• Taste: full-bodied, sweet, and creamy Tea Bush: Da Ye Zhong (大叶种)
• Cultivar: Xue Ya #100