Mabian Huang Ya (馬邊黃芽, Mǎ Biān Huáng Yá, "Yellow Buds from Mabian") is a traditional Sichuanese yellow tea originally from Mengding Mountain, Sichuan. This Mabian version is produced by Mabian tea master Heng Yi from his wild plants, in the style of the Mengding original. Yellow teas are slightly more oxidized than green teas, but unlike oolongs, they do not undergo a roasting process. Yellow Teas have become more and more rare with the advent of industrial tea production, because the oxidation must be carefully controlled to produce the appropriate yellow hue and flavor. As this necessitates the attention of an experienced tea master, it limits the quantity that can be efficiently produced. This skillfully-crafted Huáng Yá has a drier taste than its green sister teas Mabian Maojian, Welcoming Spring, and Esmeralda, with hay and straw notes and a light cacao flavor on the exhale. The delicate, flattened yellow buds float gracefully and the lack of green tea astringency make this a great tea to steep in a glass.
