Wuyi bushes grow in gullies between sandstone cliffs, and the mineral character growers call yan yun, rock rhyme, is what people buy the tea for. Da Hong Pao is heavily oxidised and then charcoal-roasted in stages over weeks, which lays a dark, toasted top note over ripe plum and orchid. It drinks nothing like a green oolong: heavier, drier, closer to a black tea in body but far more complex in the finish. Boiling water, plenty of leaf and steeps of a few seconds; the roast recedes after two rounds and the fruit comes through.
The Iron Goddess of Mercy, lightly oxidised in the modern style. Rolled pellets open into orchid scent and a creamy body. The finish runs long and sweet.
Grown above 1,200 metres in the Ali Shan range of Taiwan. Buttery in texture with a persistent sweet-floral finish. Mist and altitude do most of the work.
Traditional Taiwanese oolong, rolled tight and roasted the old way. Buttery and warm, with an orchid note that survives the fire. It rewards a small pot and short steeps.
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