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Tieguanyin

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Mr. Lin’s high mountain organic Tieguanyin, viewed from the…

Tea Adventures

Mr. Lin’s high mountain organic Tieguanyin, viewed from the tallest hillside, Treasure Mountain, Da Bao Shan. Here at around 1160 meters, it is not the highest mountain ever, but the incline is a formidable 60-70 degrees.

His favorites though are his Guanyin Red and Golden Robe, his hybrids that enjoy a strictly Ecological Agricultural standards, using no chemicals whatsoever, a standard that uses the best traditional (sheep manure!) as well as modern practices exceeding organic standards. On top of the chilly mountain with lots of wind circulating, his hills look like alien landing pads. If aliens had a taste for tea. If I were an alien tea would be a good reason to visit earth.

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A beautiful chilly morning in Anxi. A newly paved road goes to Da…

Tea Adventures

A beautiful chilly morning in Anxi. A newly paved road goes to Da Bao Shan, Treasure Mountain, the highest point here. Some of the wild teas are being harvested now, can’t wait to try wild Tieguanyin! But boy, my body is not moving this morning. The late night crazy drive in the fog and numerous tastings of teas and some home made rice wine (part of the customary ritual of this culture here) is the midnight Shao Ye( burning the night away) meal. Last night it was chicken feet and some other kinds of fatty meats. So my default polite thing to do was to drink the rice wine. Now, I defy anyone else to top my sacrifices on behalf of tea! For Chinese alcohol, especially the homemade ones, in my most humble opinion, is in direct polar opposite in excellence to their tea…..I think I have alcohol poisoning already from just a tiny shot glass amount.

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Anxi, a typical rural small city that serves the great Anxi…

Tea Adventures

Anxi, a typical rural small city that serves the great Anxi mountain range, home of many Oolongs, particularly, the legendary Tieguanyin. Arrived into a misty, very cold night. This year, as it happens every 30 years or so, is the phenomenon of the winter spring. Some winter days roared back into the middle of the spring, killing quite a few tea sprouts. This was reported so far in Fuding, Phoenix,Hangzhou, here in Anxi, and also in Yunnan. Well, it also happened in the Bay Area so it must have been global.

Arrived into a night of blinding white fog. Let’s see if I make it up the steep, blind turns up the tea mountain.

If I do, will be up all night tonight tasting through hundreds of teas since flight delays set me back almost a half day.

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Location, location, location. Grown on narrow ledges, Mr. Lin’s…

Tea Adventures

Location, location, location. Grown on narrow ledges, Mr. Lin’s farm on the mountain top is pristinely full of organic matter, like bamboo husks, weeds to be hand pulled, wild flowers. The wind put through is quite strong, a little known locational advantage against bugs. Mountain streams trickle down. Iron rich soil is another natural environmental factor for his superior crops. Still too young for harvest, the leaflets will need to grow another 2 weeks.

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There’s a lot of idle time at the farm when it’s not peak season…

Tea Adventures

There’s a lot of idle time at the farm when it’s not peak season yet. Here at Anxi, peak harvest and production season won’t really start for another 2 weeks, waiting for the leaves to grow a bit more mature. There’s a lot of standing around， sitting and drinking tea and smoking and shooting the breeze. Often neighbors will drop in and sit and not say a word. Mr. Lin, formerly the village doctor, is attempting to do the all natural farm, including using no chemical fertilizers. His Red Guanyin and Golden Robe saw their first appearance in the US with us last year. This year, we hope to ask him to tweak and custom make those teas for us a bit， adjusting fire levels and depth.
Here at 赤石 Red Rock Village where a Tieguanyin was first discovered by a fellow villager in the early 1700s， every family is related and everyone makes tea.

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