About this tea

This is an extraordinarily rare micro-lot from the ancient tea tree forest in Qianjiazhai Village, a region famous for its Pu’er teas. Some of the oldest known tea trees in the world are found in the lush forests of Qianjiazhai, many over one thousand years old. This tea was processed minimally, just like Silver Needles white tea, revealing beautiful aromas and complex tasting notes of tea rose, magnolia, nectarine and a hint of hoppy spice. The precious buds are cloaked in scale layers of immature tea leaves that are pinky-purple and grayish-green. This effect, called ya bao or “shielding the bud” occurs in late winter and early spring, especially on elder tea trees and wild tea (like magnolia and wild camellia). The reddish-purple pigments seen in these buds develop on the leaves of these old tea trees as a secondary plant defense mechanism against sunburn, resulting in a beautiful, multi-colored tea. When brewing, note the lovely pigmentation of the buds and the sumptuous golden-green liquor of the tea infusion. This tea is delicate and sweet with multi-floral, fresh spice and fruity flavors.