This Da Hong Pao is a deeply roasted oolong with a grounded, powerful character. The liquor is full-bodied and steady, showing roasted wood, cocoa, mineral warmth, and a lingering sweetness that unfolds slowly with each infusion. The high-fire roasting softens sharp edges while building depth and structure, making this tea especially comforting and resilient across multiple brews. High-quality Da Hong Pao is increasingly difficult to export to Europe due to extremely low yields, high domestic demand, rising prices, and concerns around pesticide use. Recognizing this gap, our tea-making friend established the Rainbow Tea Garden, a plantation managed specifically to meet EU standards. What we present here is his second refined version, made from the Meizhan cultivar and carefully processed through multiple roasting stages. Meizhan is a traditional Fujian tea cultivar valued for its robust leaf structure and its ability to produce teas with depth, floral complexity, and strong inner sweetness. When used for rock-style oolong, it often brings a rounded body and a subtle floral undertone that remains present even after deeper roasting. The tea undergoes prolonged charcoal roasting in a dedicated roasting room, where temperature and airflow are continuously adjusted by hand. This demanding process—often repeated over several sessions—requires patience, precision, and experience. The result is a Da Hong Pao with strong inner tension, clarity beneath the roast, and a depth that reflects both tradition and thoughtful experimentation. Profile: Roasted wood, cocoa, mineral warmth, lingering sweetnessOrigin: Pu Cheng, Fujian, ChinaElevation: 450 mHarvest: May 2025Farmer: Mao YunxingCultivar: MeizhanBrewing suggestion: 100 °C | 5-10 s
