Wild Mountain Black Tea
The purple leaf varietal of tea grows wild in the mountainous areas west of Mang Shi, Dehong where it is picked and expertly fermented to produce this rare tea, of which only a very small amount is made each year. The small producer has made black tea in Dehong for over 20 years, but only recently started making this fantastic example.
The tea is picked and then quickly hand-processed in a small hut on the mountain. The leaves come from the same varietal that is also used to make puerh, which can be quite bitter, but when made into a black tea produces an ultra-smooth, thick, soft liquor.
The leaves are dark, long and twisted with flecks of dark red and amber, giving off a sweet and fruity smell with a note of truffle. Once brewed, the liquor gives off an aroma of dark chocolate and the taste is malty with hints of caramel becoming sweeter with successive infusions. This tea has an incredible mouthfeel which is exquisitely smooth but possesses a lot of energy in the mouth, almost like a cool peppermint sensation.
