2023 Wudong Old Bush Da Ye Mao

Harvest: Spring 2023. Final roast November 2024.

Origin: Wudong Mountain, Phoenix Mountains, Guangdong

Cultivar: Unnamed cultivar, 'Da Ye Mao'

Processing: Triple Charcoal Roast

Packaging: 50g tin

This tea is made from a few 80-year-old seed propagated bushes on Wudong Mountain. This cultivar does not have an official name, nor does it belong to any of the 香型 (fragrance types) used to categorise phoenix dancong teas. We and Zoey have decided to use the name 'Da Ye Mao', which is the Chaoshan-dialect nickname farmers have given this cultivar. Despite the reference to 'Big Leaf' in the nickname, this tea should not be confused with Da Wu Ye, which is an entirely separate cultivar. Most bushes of this unnamed cultivar have been cut down because this cultivar is not well-suited for the lighter oxidation and lighter roasted bouquet-style dancong that is popular on the market. However, the old bush material of this cultivar is well-suited for multiple rounds of charcoal roasting. This tea has been roasted three times since being picked in 2023, with periods of rest in between. It offers a different experience to many other dancongs, with pronounced body and aftertaste and noticeable congwei. We suggest brewing Chaozhou style with a 1g/10ml ratio. 

Note: the label on the tin says 2025, but this tea was picked in Spring 2023.