The alchemist’s masterpiece, balancing mineral 'rock bones' with the dizzying, floral complexity of orchid and honey.
Zhengshan Xiaozhong
2024
€120,00
Sale price
€120,00
Regular price
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Zhengshan Xiaozhong
€120,00
Sale price
€120,00
Regular price
The Tea That Invented Smoked.
Zhengshan Xiaozhong, what the Western world came to know as Lapsang Souchong, originates from a single, defined region in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian province. It is not a style but a place: Zhengshan, the authentic mountain source. Everything about this tea is a product of that geography and the particular tradition of pine-wood drying that has defined it for centuries.
The smoke in Lapsang Souchong is not an accident of production or an added flavouring. It is the intentional result of drying the leaves over burning pinewood, allowing the resin and fragrance of the wood to permeate each leaf slowly and completely. In high-quality versions, where the leaf is made from tender young buds rather than coarser material, the smoke is refined: present but not overwhelming, a backdrop rather than the whole story.
The Tasting Experience
The fragrance opens with the unmistakable note of pine-wood smoke, resinous, warm, and immediately evocative. Beneath it, apricot emerges, sweet and slightly tart, followed by the cool, clean scent of wet bamboo forest after rain. A thread of almond runs through the whole profile, tying the sweetness and smoke together. The liquor is deep amber, the finish long and warming.
Spiritual Character Grounding, warming, and deeply comforting.
Brewing Guide Tea-to-water ratio: 4g per 200ml Water temperature: 90–95°C Steeps: 5–7
Weight: 50g
乌龙茶 Oolong Tea
Oolong is the grand theater of the tea world, a partially fermented leaf that dances gracefully between the freshness of green tea and the depth of red tea. Through meticulous bruising, resting, and roasting, artisans coax an astonishing symphony of aromas from the leaf, evoking wild orchids, sweet honey, blooming osmanthus, toasted walnuts, and deep charcoal.
In traditional Chinese thought, Oolong possesses a perfectly neutral energy, striking a harmonious balance that makes it a grounding companion for any season. The character of Oolong is deeply tied to its homeland. Southern Fujian offers the lyrical Anxi Tieguanyin, while Northern Fujian produces the deeply mineral Wuyi Rock teas. Across the strait, Taiwan yields the creamy, mountainous Dongding and Wenshan Baozhong. Finally, Guangdong is revered for its Phoenix Dancong, a magnificent tea harvested from single, ancient tree lineages to preserve unique floral genetics.
問余何意棲碧山
Why do I live in the green mountains?
笑而不答心自閒
I laugh and answer not, my soul sereneI
唐, 李白 Tang Dynasty, Li Bai
Brewing Guide
Amount: 4g of tea leaves per 200ml vessel
Temperature: 100°C water
Time: 3 to 5 seconds for the first 7 steeps, increasing the time gracefully for subsequent infusions
Technique: Pour the water gently in a slow circle, aiming for the inner wall of your teapot to avoid bruising the leaves
Vessel: Clay Teapots, Gaiwan, Glass Teapots, or a Gongbei
Our Philosophy
We believe that a tea leaf is more than a commodity; it is a tether to a specific moment in time and space. We have traveled to the source to bring you the genuine article, leaves untainted, unforced, and full of life. When you steep these leaves, you are not simply preparing a beverage; you are unfolding a story that began in soil, sun, and rain. Let each infusion be an exploration of what it means for a leaf to be truly, perfectly itself.
The mountain buds are plucked while yet the dew remains, emerald-green, unfurling in the bowl like a forest reborn in the steam.
