Old Grove Buddha's Hand 2022

In the Southern Fujian Province there is a lesser known region, bordering Anxi in the South and Dehua in the North, called Yongchun. Yongchun has a surprising number of old grove tea trees that are now more than 60 years old.

This oolong comes from the White Crane Mountain Nature Reserve, located in the middle of Yongchun County. The tea trees on this mountain were planted in the 1960's, and most of them are around 60 years old. The rise in agriculture throughout the area in the 1990's, coupled with the sudden success of the Tieguanyin tea market, meant that almost all the tea farmers working with Buddha's Hand and Shuixian abandoned their trees in the mountains. The trees have since formed small groves, and have self-sustained, unattended in the wilderness, ever since.

This Buddha's Hand has long, broad leaves and a formidable character. Its taste is immediately sweet and warm, like corn syrup, or even cotton candy. Notes of lemon and roasted nuts become gradually more distinct through infusions. Its strong, direct qualities reflect the balanced and generous ecosystem from which it comes.