Aged Da Hong Pao Oolong Tea Cake
(a.k.a. Chen Nian Da Hong Pao Bing)

These Da Hong Pao cakes were made using our large storage of Da Hong Pao leaves from 1999. They are Zu Huo (more deeply roasted) in order to control the aging process, since they were stored in the Wuyi mountains where it is very humid. The resulting infusion is something difficult to describe, as is typical with many aged oolongs. Certainly the earthiness stands out, though it is hard to compare it with a cooked pu'er, since it is most certainly overrun with intense floral notes. The depth of flavour is such that upon each sip, after each infusion, the back-of-the-tongue sweetness gets clearer and clearer; many properties of well-cooked caramel and cinnamon.

While such a tea cake is perfectly suited for a collector, many people in China reserve these teas more for their healing properties, both for skin, stomach (digestion) and blood health.