Black Tea - Dian Hong 2024
Different from other black teas, this is full-bodied, malty-rich, with a long floral sweet after-taste, with very light bitterness & astringency. Dian Hong Tea, “Dian” being the aboriginal word for Yunnan, “Hong” being red, translates to Yunnan Red Tea.
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This varietal is from an organic wild forest tree of 300-to-500 years old, harvested from 1,200m up in the mountains of Northern Thailand. These wild trees were likely planted by either the Bulang or Dai ethnic people.
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It also has strong "Cha Qi" (茶气), literally “tea’s energy” - an enigmatic concept whereby a mindful tea experience induces from deep within the drinker a range of emotions. Depending on how it resonates with the tea drinker, this could be, for instance, peaceful introspection, or invigorating clarify, or serene calmness.
Black Tea - Honey Bug-bitten 2022
A special combination of Honey Black approach on Jin Xuan Oolong reveals uncommon tea notes of honey and milk. This pairs beautifully with the woody-floral flavours and a sweet aftertaste.
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Jin Xuan, also known as Nai Xiang [milky fragrance] actually just hints of milk and a buttery mouthfeel. It is a hybrid varietal developed in Taiwan in 1980, registered as Tai Cha #12, that has 20% higher yield than traditional varietals.
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The story of Honey Black, also known as Mi Xiang [honey fragrance], links to a 1999 earthquake in Nantou [Taiwan], when farms were unattended to and allowing one of the pests, tea jassids, to thrive. Rather than to waste the harvest, most of the bug-bitten tea were pushed to the market, which was so successful that it spawned other types of Honey Black. One type of Mi Xiang was recently auctioned off at a record high price of USD56 per gram, testament to its popularity.
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The tea plant releases aromas that attracts spiders when bitten, & these prey on the jassids [leafhoppers]. This honey-like aroma is what sets Honey Black apart. The unpredictability of the jassids makes it difficult to use this approach, thus supply remains relatively limited.
Black Tea - Lapsang Souchong
Powdery-smoky with a savoury-peppery bold first impression that holds consistently in a long finish, with a back-note of dried longan. Beautiful floral perfume that hold its ground despite the smokiness. The latter is akin to peaty whisky such as Laphroaig.
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From the Wuyi Mountains [Fujian] it’s thought to be created during17th century China. Storied origin of tea farmers fleeing from Qing soldiers that rushed the drying by smoke-drying over a pinewood fire to save the harvest, some say this led to the birth of black teas.