Yanxun Xiaozhong Smoked Black Tea

Yanxun Xiaozhong 2018 (Smoked)
Tea – Smoked Black Tea
Harvest – Spring 2018
Origin – Tongmuguan, Wuyishan

This tea was produced in Tongmuguan, a Unesco world heritage protected area where tea trees grow semi-wild in a pristine environment. Unlike most areas of Wuyishan that are at relatively low elevation, Tongmu is situated at a much higher altitude and access there is restricted.

The traditional production method is quite unique among other black teas because of the use of smoke. In a building the leaves are placed on the upper floor while on the ground floor pine wood is burned. This process dries the leaves giving the tea a characteristic smoked flavor and is still carried out today by a very few farmers making it somehow hard to find.

This tea has a smoked flavor that dissipating reveals an underlying black tea sweetness . The smoked flavor divides tea drinkers between those who love or hate it making Xiao Zhong one of the most unique black teas and something interesting to try.