Anji Baicha High Mountain 2026

For many people Anji Biacha is a highly anticipated, and highly appreciated, Fresh Harvest Spring tea. Its name is obscuring: while in this case it refers to a green tea, "baicha" translates to "white tea." The varietal has been named this way because of its unusually colourless leaves: due to their lower chlorophyll and higher amino acid content, Anji Baicha leaves are a near-translucent, pale green. When dried, these pale, uniform leaves lay very flat like pine needles. Distinct to them is a dark, green vein which runs down the spine of each leaf, with fine arteries branching off of it. In water these flat, papery leaves behave in an unusual way: they unfold by spiraling open, gradually revealing their striking emerald veins. When these leaves are fully open and suspended in the gaiwan, they are said to look like auspicious cranes.

Anji Baicha was the favourite tea of a legendary ruler of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong. He was a gifted poet, painter, calligrapher, and very engaged with the tradition of tea. In 1107 Huizong authored a treatise on tea called Daguan Chalun. In it, he describes Baicha tea at length; he believed it to be very special amongst teas for its pale, delicate appearance, and noted that it grew sporadically on cliffs, therefore resisted being domesticated by man. This Baicha, that Emperor Huizong so admired, remained a mysterious reference in his text for several centuries, until, in 1982, Baicha trees were discovered in the high mountains of Anji County.

With the notoriety that this varietal now has, a handful of highly regarded cultivars have come to exemplify Anji Baicha production, Ms. Qun being one of them. Her Anji Baichas are so sought after, they do not normally appear on the market, which is why we consider them "Private Room" teas: extremely small batched teas intended for special occasions, or, had they appeared at a different time, teas that would be reserved only for an emperor. We are very fortunate to have acquired the contact for Ms. Qun, and it is only on account of a network of friendship that we are able to carry a small portion of her tea.

Under water these airy spindles illuminate, emitting an intense and beautiful aroma: mineralic, tropical, like mango skin and wet metal. They gradually become plump, turning a lively shade of spring green. As suggested by this colour, they brew a very fresh and nutritive tasting liquor; savoury at first, with a sweet, lemony finish. A gently coarse mouthfeel slows the liquor's passage across the palate, giving us a bit more time to open receptively to everything it has to offer — which is much!

The 2026 harvest is particularly floral and has an incredible amount of body. It is a potent harvest: a small amount of tea goes a long way. While still delicate in its aroma, the mouthfeel is dense and creamy. Its trademark bamboo notes gradually emerge through infusions, and the weight of its liquor slowly disperses, finishing with a tea that feels deeply satisfying and refreshing.