Da Ye Hong Cha 2018

A unique black tea from a small-scale producer, the sinuous, twisted leaves have been harvested from semi-wild, forty-year-old tea bushes in the middle of a forest. While recognisable as a Chinese black tea by its characteristic maltiness, this Da Ye Hong Cha recalls its sylvan origins with herbal notes of mint and hay, contributing to a balanced flavour reminiscent of browning sugar or crème caramel during lighter infusions.

The tea bushes interspersed with fully wild vegetation.

For the experimentalists: try placing a single leaf or two in a cup and steeping for ten minutes—the sweeter, buttery flavour will come to the fore; leaving it until cool makes for an excellent summertime quaff.