Tea: Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao - 大红袍) Type: Charcoal Roasted Wuyi Rock Oolong Harvest: Spring 2025 Roast Type: Heavy Region: Wuyi Mountain, Fujian, China Producers: Master WuTasting Notes: Milk Chocolate, Wet Stone, Vanilla Bean, Tobacco, Rock Sugar Da Hong Pao is one of the most famed varietals of Wuyi Rock Oolongs and can trace its origins to the 6 or 7 mother trees, which still grow from the rocky cliffs of Zhenyan in the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Reserve. While very little tea is gets made from the mother bushes, the legacy of this varietal has been exported far and white, and many producers make their teas in this well-roasted, mineral focused style. As soon as the dry leaves are placed in a heated vessel, the aroma of milk chocolate and wet stone immediately begin to surface. Once wet, the leaves begin to exude tobacco and cedar wood aromas, with something more like culinary spice on the lid. This spiciness actually reaches down into the leaves as the session continues on, revealing the complex qualities of the leaf under the roast. The liquor is a rich amber red, and thickly textured on the tongue. The flavors are mineral sweet with a hint of rock sugar and vanilla bean. The key attribute of this tea is the richly complex mineral and rock notes to the brews, while delivering warm and soothing infusions with dried herbs and rain on rock notes rising from the cup. To check out how this Big Red Robe compares with the other teas from this year, be sure to browse our Wuyi Yancha Sampler!
