This tea comes from Huángshān (黃山,"Yellow Mountain") in Ānhuī province. It is made from the Shì Dà Zhǒng (柿大種,"Persimmon Big Type") tea plant which is the local cultivar of tea in the Hòukēng village region. This unique cultivar of tea has unusually large leaves. Although it is from the Xiǎo Yè Zhǒng (小葉種,"Small Leaf Tea") branch of the tea family tree, its leaves are long enough to be visually mistaken for a Dà Yè Zhǒng (大葉種, "Big Leaf Tea") tea such as Sheng Pu'er. It is traditionally made into a famous green tea called Tàipíng Hóukuí, (平猴魁, "Great Peace Monkey Chief") but this year our producer He Xiaoling has made red and white versions of this tea. Since they are harvested from later in the spring, after the green tea harvest has ended, they are much less expensive than Tàipíng Hóukuí, but still have much of the same unique character. This one in particular is harvested from wild plants.
A fluffy, large-leaf tea has been described as being floral punch, rock candy, mineral, bready, white flowers, and sugar cookie. It has a heady, strong Qi and notes of cantaloupe rind on the exhale.
