Phoenix Mountain Single Grove trees, producing some of the most unique Oolongs in the world. There is no other tea that tastes anything close to it. Tall trees that require being perched precariously on branches or on ladders in order to harvest, and inherently there are more branches than leaves as the trees age, which makes the skill and labor requirements all the more demanding. Many of these trees exceed a century or more in age at the top of Wudong Peak, with some of the oldest exceeding 500 years old. Of course, the older the root stock, the deeper and complex the taste. And the tea pickers? The older the age, the faster and lighter the touch. This morning, I watched a bunch of 60 year olds get atop these century old trees at harvest, in the gently swaying wind, loud swallows buzzing about, an intense tea fragrance surrounding everything. Trekking all the way here from California doesn’t seem like much effort in comparison.
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