 |
|
So named because a Tang Dynasty scholar on his way to the Imperial examinations made tea from its leaves – and was the only scholar out of two hundred to pass the exam and awarded the imperial scarlet robe. In gratitude, the scholar wrapped the tea plant in those same robes.
Grand Scarlet Robe, or “Da Hong Pao”, is the holy grail of Wuyi Oolongs. The
handful of mother trees in existence produce a scant kilograms of tea each year.
Very rarely will that tea make it to the open market, and when it does as it did in 1998,the auction value was $900,000 for a kilogram. As tea buyers, we search incessantly
for those tea trees that are the closest in genetic make-up to the mother trees.
In May of this year, we found a “Zheng Cong” grove in the Wuyi Mountains. We acquired several kilos of the tea, had it carefully hand-crafted using strictly traditional methods, and then took the result to our roaster to receive several layers of traditional “heritage” charcoal roasting.
The result is our best Da Hong Pao to date. The initial brew releases the intense toffee and caramel notes from the charcoal roasting. But it’s the balance of the tea that sets the Heritage Grand Scarlet Robe apart from other Wuyis: at the same time rich, viscous, sweet, floral, fruity – each characteristic distinct, but balanced and in harmony with the others.
Water Temperature: 195-200°, or when medium bubbles begin to rise and water becomes agitated.
Brewing Instructions: Use 1 tablespoon (double for a medium sized pot). Rinse tea for 1 second. Discard rinse water. Steep for 1-2 minutes. May be infused multiple times.
Recommended Method: Gaiwan,
Teapot,
Infuser,
Yixing Tea Pot
SIZE:
QTY:
|
|
