Many of the black teas from China in past years have not lived up to the high standards of quality we've set. Most black tea today are not rolled adequately (the rolling process breaks down the cellular structure of the tea leaves, helping release the flavors locked inside). We've found that the standard 20-30 minutes of rolling produces black teas that lack full flavor, so we've increased the rolling to 160 minutes, and varied the pressure and intensity of the process to prevent broken leaves. We also introduced new factors into the firing process. The addition of Lychee wood charcoal, for example, imparts toasty, sugary, and fruity flavors. We also implemented techniques borrowed from Fujian’s traditional oolong firing processes to help mitigate over-firing of the tea leaves. This batch has been exceptional, as a result of improved production practices. This tea has notes of apricot, toasted nuts, and artisanal roasted caramel. An extraordinarily fragrant and flavorful tea that both connoisseurs and beginners should try. GROWING REGION Fujian, China. A coastal province in southeastern China where the finest oolong, white and jasmine teas are produced. According to historical records, teas have been produced in Fujian Province for well over 1,600 years. Growers currently produce five different categories of tea, most of which originated in the province.
