Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong | Wuyi Mountain 2023

Da Hong Pao · Dà Hóng Páo · 大红袍

2024 / 50 g

€68,00

1/10

Da Hong Pao · Dà Hóng Páo · 大红袍

Oolong tea

€68,00

€1.360,00/kg

A red robe draped over an ancient tree.

In 1385, a scholar named Ding Xian was traveling to Beijing for the imperial examination. Passing through Wuyi Mountain, he collapsed with severe abdominal pain. A monk from Tianxin Temple brewed him a tea from the cliff-side garden. The pain stopped. He passed the examination. He returned, removed his crimson ceremonial robe, and draped it over the tea trees in gratitude. The tea became Da Hong Pao, the Great Red Robe. The emperor eventually heard the story. He sent his own red robe. He declared the tea a royal tribute. He posted guards to protect every leaf. The trees on that cliff still exist. This is what grows in the same soil, tended by the same tradition.

chocolate · dried raisin · ashy warmth · nutmeg · pine needle · sandalwood · rock mineral · yan yun · tobacco · liquorice

FORMAT · Loose leaf

HARVEST · April - May

ORIGIN · Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China

ELEVATION · 650 m

CULTIVAR · Da Hong Pao Blend (Classic Heritage Cultivars)

PRODUCER · Xing Tian Yuqiao Tea Roastery

PROCESSING · Hand-plucked → Heavy wilting → Rhythmic shaking → Medium oxidation → Hard charcoal roasting in multiple stages

BATCH · 65kg

CERTIFICATION · Wuyi Zhengshan Authenticity Heritage Standard

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

93/100

静山 · Jìng Shān Still Mountain · 88-94

The mountain at its most present. Everything unnecessary has fallen away.

Da Hong Pao scores 93 because of its masterfully executed yan yun (rock rhyme). The progression from deep, dark chocolate and dried raisin sweetness into a lingering mineral coolness at the back of the throat is seamless. It displays the classic, stable character expected of an elite Wuyi pillar. more about the Yuan Archive Scoring System

State-Certified National Park & Organic Terroir

This tea is cultivated in an officially designated, state-monitored ecological protection area (Wuyishan National Park Terroir).

Official Organic Certification: Accredited under national organic standards (GB/T 19630) for both raw agricultural production and artisanal processing. Holds the official Chinese Organic Product Certificates issued by government-accredited certification body (CNAS / China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment).

State-Monitored Ecology: Grown in a strictly protected natural reserve where industrial activity is forbidden, and natural biodiversity creates an optimal microclimate for tea.

Purity Guaranteed: Free from synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or soil additives.

The Dry Leaf

Tightly curled, charcoal-grey to ink-black strips carrying an aroma of dark cocoa and dried, sun-warmed fruits.

The Soup

Deep amber to reddish-brown, perfectly clear, thick, and luminous under light.

Fragrance & Palate

The fragrance opens with chocolate and dried raisin, deep and sweet. Then comes an evocative ashy warmth, the spice of nutmeg and pine needle, and the cool mineral thread of sandalwood and rock. Tobacco and liquorice weave beautifully through the later steeps like threads in old cloth. The yan yun, rock rhyme, leaves a striking mineral coolness that spreads across the tongue and lingers permanently.

Spiritual Character

The Energy: Mild, exceptionally stable, and deeply grounding. Feels like a quiet, trustworthy companion that anchors the room.

The Hour: Ideal for slow, reflective evenings or shared conversations when time needs to hold still.

Lineage & History Da Hong Pao is the foundation stone of Wuyi rock oolongs, boasting a 700-year history. Legend states that in 1385, a scholar cured of severe illness by a Tianxin Temple monk's tea draped his crimson ceremonial robe over the bushes in gratitude—a story that eventually elevated it to a heavily guarded royal tribute. Crafted from classic heritage cultivars, the 2023 spring harvest undergoes heavy wilting, rhythmic shaking, and multi-stage hard charcoal roasting to achieve its dark, tightly curled form.

Terroir & Microclimate This tea is born in the core heritage crevices of Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province. The roots intertwine with the ancient, mineral-encrusted cliffs, drawing up profound earthy elements that create the legendary yan yun (rock rhyme). It is this specific volcanic, rocky soil that gives the tea its signature deep mineral finish, alongside notes of chocolate, sandalwood, and tobacco.

Wuyi yancha demands maximum, flash-boiling temperatures to pull the elusive rock rhyme from its mineral-encrusted cell walls. Do not lower the heat.

Vessel: Traditional Yixing purple clay (Zisha) teapot or structural porcelain gaiwan

Ratio: 4g per 200ml

Water Temperature: 100°C (212°F)

First Rinse: 5 seconds then discarded, essential to wash away surface char and open the dark, twisted strips

Steeps: 10 or more successive infusions, lengthening the steep time significantly after the fifth round

Teaware Pairing

An unglazed Yixing clay teapot is the supreme companion for this 2023 vintage, absorbing the sharpest charcoal edges while accentuating the deep chocolate, sandalwood, and raisin base notes.