A strip style oolong produced from old/ ancient (100-300+ year old) Shan Assamica varietal trees growing in the Hoàng Su Phì area of Hà Giang.
 
The tea maker has exclusive rights to harvest and manage this tea garden. They use a sustainable low volume production strategy with mimimal human intervention to ensure top quality tea year after year.
 
This is a unique tea. Assamica oolongs are typically much harsher than their Sinensis counterparts so processing and storage play a major role in the production of this tea.
 
This tea was produced in Autumn of 2020.
 
Producing this tea requires some real skill. The tea has won multiple international awards for his teas. After production, the tea has a nice fragrance, and strong qi but the flavor is quite harsh and unbalanced. Aging for 2 years in an ideal environment has really brought this tea to a wonderful state.
 
The flavor is complex. I pick up notes of savory warming spices with a peppery floral fragrance. Kind of like an Oriental Beauty meets a Dian Hong. Thick sweetness with a medium-thick body depending on how strong you brew it. It has this softening effect that spreads and finishes with a bit of a tannic bite.
 
I like brewing it at 85-95 degrees for shorter and then longer steeps.
 
This tea really surpised me when I first tried it. I hope it will do the same for you!
 
Independent review of this tea here.
 
Season: Autumn 2020
Picking Standard: 1 bud, 2 leaves
Region: Hoàng Su Phì, Hà Giang
Elevation: 1200m