Rougui Cinnamon Rock Oolong | Wuyi Mountain 2023

Cinnamon Rock Tea · Ròuguì · 肉桂

2024

€93,00

1/9

Cinnamon Rock Tea · Ròuguì · 肉桂

Oolong tea

€93,00

€1.860,00/kg

A sudden spark of cassia fire caught in a prison of dark mineral ice.

Among all the Wuyi rock oolongs, Rougui is the unmistakable classic, the one that visitors come for and tea-drinkers return to. Deeply rooted in weathered cliff soil, drawing slow minerals from ancient rock, it has developed a character that cannot be reasoned or engineered: bold, spiced, resonant. Each day, the tea garden receives barely three hours of direct sunlight. Humidity hovers above eighty-five percent. The plants are raised in a natural cool-room woven from mist and altitude. What they produce, under these patient and particular conditions, is a leaf of dense, dark intensity, twisted like a braid, glossy and ink-black beneath a faint frosted sheen. Firm and dry to the touch. Quietly powerful in the hand.

cinnamon-cassia spice · peach · caramel · cream · faint smoke · cured depth · yan yun · mineral chill

FORMAT · Loose leaf

HARVEST · Early May

ORIGIN · Wuyi Mountain Cliffs, Fujian Province, China

ELEVATION · 200 - 650 m

CULTIVAR · Wuyi Rougui (Cinnamon Cultivar)

PRODUCER · Xing Tian Yuqiao Tea Roastery

PROCESSING · Traditional hand-pick → Extended wilting → Rhythmic bruising → Complete charcoal baking over traditional pits

BATCH · 65kg

CERTIFICATION · Core Heritage Area (Zheng Yan) Origin Verified

STORAGE · Sealed, dry, odour-free environment at ambient temperature

95/100

孤峰 · Gū Fēng Lone Peak · 95-100

The absolute pinnacle of expression. A rare testament to time and terroir.

Rougui scores 95 due to its staggering aromatic power and faultless terroir definition. The signature cinnamon-cassia bite is remarkably clean, supported by a deep caramel-peach mid-palate and an intense, structural yan yun that sends a soft chill straight through the throat. It is an exemplary, uncompromising specimen of elite rock tea artistry. more about the Yuan Archive Scoring System

The Dry Leaf

Twisted like a tight braid, glossy ink-black under a faint frosted sheen. Firm, dry, and emitting an intense aroma of snapped cassia bark.

The Soup

Rich, deep golden-orange broth with a clear, luminous consistency and a high viscosity rim.

Fragrance & Palate

The fragrance opens with a sharp, immediate cinnamon-cassia spice. Then a gentle sweetness arrives, peachy and warm, followed by caramel, cream, and faint trails of smoke. There is an almost meaty depth beneath it all, something cured, rich, and deeply satisfying. The first sip brings a lively, faint astringency that awakens the tongue before the yan yun spreads a cool, mineral chill through the throat.

Spiritual Character

The Energy: Warm and highly stimulating. It ignites internal fire, sharpens cognitive awareness, and clears lethargy.

The Hour: Ideal for active afternoons, deep creative sessions, or moments when your spirit demands a bold awakening.

Lineage & History Rougui is the bold, undeniable classic of Wuyi yancha, revered for its uncompromising spice and structure. It demands intense, traditional craftsmanship: an extended wilting period, rhythmic bruising, and a complete charcoal baking process over traditional pits. The result is a twisted, dense leaf, glossy ink-black under a faint frosted sheen, carrying an intense, cured depth that cannot be engineered, only earned through mastery of the fire.

Terroir & Microclimate Cultivated in the Zheng Yan (Core Heritage Area) of the Wuyi Mountain Cliffs in Fujian, the environment here is a natural cool-room. The tea gardens receive barely three hours of direct sunlight daily, blanketed in mist and altitude with humidity hovering above 85%. Drawing slow minerals from ancient weathered cliff soil, the Rougui cultivar develops its signature fierce cinnamon-cassia bite and striking mineral chill.

Rougui requires unwavering, full-boiling water to uncoil its fiercely spiced cinnamon character. Do not be gentle with it.

Vessel: Thick-walled porcelain gaiwan or heavy clay teapot

Ratio: 4g per 200ml

Water Temperature: 100°C (212°F)

First Rinse: 5 seconds then discarded, releasing the immediate burst of cassia aromatics

Steeps: 10 or more successive infusions, using quick, focused steeps to preserve the intense structural layers

Teaware Pairing

Brew this bold oolong in a high-fired porcelain gaiwan to prevent the vibrant peach and sharp cinnamon-cassia spice from being muted, ensuring the crystalline mineral finish remains sharp.