Autumn Moon Red (秋月紅茶, Qiū Yuè Hóng Chá, "Autumn Moon Red Tea") another imitable masterpiece by Mabian, Sichuan-based tea master Heng Yi. Heng Yi is a third-generation Sichuanese tea master specializing in wild teas. He has identified different "subspecies" of tea plants inhabiting different parts of the mountains of his home in Mabian. His paternal grandfather took him on plant walks as a child where he showed him the locations of these different tea plants and pointed out the morphological differences between them. Heng Yi has dedicated his career to exploring the different subpopulations of wild tea plants in Mabian and tailoring his processing techniques to bring out the individual attributes of each.
Autumn Moon has a dark, malty character, reminiscent of English Breakfast or even Earl Grey (without the bergamot). The cup fragrance is syrupy, with notes of dark honey and aged wood. The wet leaves have a sweet, heady aroma like a mimosa tree in bloom, from a distance. The qi is calm, focusing, and introspective.