There is a saying in Wu Yi Mountain region, "nothing smells better than Rougui, and nothing tastes mellower than Shui Xian" (香不过肉桂，醇不过水仙). A tea maker isn’t considered to be a master unless she/he can make Rougui and Shui Xian well. Rougui and Shui Xian speak to the reputation of the tea maker. We found a new tea farmer (Xue Ying) in 2021, and we were amazed by their simple tea making philosophy and high quality yancha. Xue Ying likes to say, "offer less, make it great."

Our 2021 Classic Rougui was harvested in May 2021 and hand-processed in very small batches until October 2021 in Wu Yi Mountain (Zheng Yan area). This farmer (Xue Ying) carefully monitors all of their teas while they are charcoal-fired up to three times to create a consistent profile.

“Rougui” directly translated means “cinnamon", and this oolong really lives up to that name. The dry leaves smell of redwood bark, orange zest, and (you guessed it) spicy cinnamon. When steeped, the profile of the leaf aroma shifts toward charcoal and tropical fruits. This tea has an oily texture and tastes sweet, rocky, and spicy with a satisfying brightness and fruity finish. Our 2021 Classic Rougui is a great example of this type of tea and we highly recommend it if you are interested in getting familiar with rougui yancha.