Tasting Notes: A complex mixture of sweet herbs and lavender. Fresh and creamy afternotes. A beautifully refreshing wild white tea. Tea Type: Wild White Peony Tea Chinese Name: 何坑白茶 Hekeng Wild White Tea Background Description Hekeng is a remote village located the southwest of Zhejiang Longquan County, about 850 meters above sea level. This village sits atop the mountain, roughly an arduous two hour trek from the base. The villagers planted tea bushes almost 100 years ago for their personal use. This village was eventually abandoned about 50-60 years ago when work became too scarce. Since then the tea bushes have multiplied and taken over this village! Now, thanks to our friends at The Zhengyuan Tea Cooperative, tea is once again made from these semi-wild leaves. In early April every year, locals (who live at the base of this mountain) do the two hour trek to pick fresh leaves. From these leaves our Wild Gold (a black tea) and now this Wild White are created. To make the white tea they are initially withered using natural sunlight and the north wind. This withering process lasts about 3 days. The more delicate leaves make our Wild White, which is also known as a White Peony, while the older leaves are known as Gongmei. All the tea bushes are in semi-wild state, with no pesticides and fertilisers, so the aroma of this white tea is particularly clean. Semi-wild means that the bushes were once planted by humans, but have been left to roam free and become wild. Wild White has been aged for 3 years. This ageing process lets the leaves evolve new aromas and flavours. Steamed rice and extra flower tastes develop during the ageing process and gives the tea a thick mellow and smooth body. In the White tea market, the longer the ageing process the more expensive it will become. This is due to the extra and richer flavours that develop over time. Tea Garden Location Hekeng, Longquan, Zhejiang, China. Harvest Date Spring 2020 Brewing Guide Use a small teapot (150ml). Drop 4g of leaf into the teapot. Add 90º hot water. Infuse for 20 seconds. Pour. Enjoy... Re-infuse.Ingredients Ingredients Camellia Sinensis
