Collection: Wuyi Yancha
People have been growing tea in the Fujian area for over two thousand years, possibly stretching back to the neolithic age. Wuyishan became prominent locus of the tea industry in the late 1300s. It is the birthplace of both oolong and black tea.
Wuyi yancha, or "cliff tea", is grown along steep, stony ridges. The stones, constantly weathered by the subtropical climate, amend an immense spectrum of minerality to the soil. Protected by the government, the best tea is grown in the Wuyishan Ecological Preserve, where using chemicals is illegal severely punishable. The farmers here have learned to work with nature to sustain biodynamic tea forests. Diverse, primeval forests are adjacent vertical cliffs, making these gardens very difficult to get to. The topography only allows small gardens to exist between the immense boulders. The flavors are intensely complex, and accompanied body full of malted sweetness and thick minerality.