Yi Yi Rice

Yiyi Rice is an oolong almost exclusively enjoyed by the local people of the Phoenix Mountain Range. In Chinese, its name is Er Mi, which translates roughly as "Two Rice." We call this tea YiYi Rice because Yi is one, and the Chinese character for Er consists of two Yi, like two grains of rice standing next to one another.

Traditionally, in the Phoenix Mountain Range, all of the oolong crafted each season is sorted by hand at the finishing stage. Any leaves that appear slightly brown in color are picked out and set aside.

These leaves will have discoloured either because they were slightly older when they were harvested, or because they were bruised and oxidized slightly more than the other leaves. YiYi Rice is tea made from these leaves. There are usually not many of them removed from each batch of Phoenix Oolong, so they are blended together for locals to enjoy as an everyday-tea year-round.

This one comes from core producing villages, Wudong, Da'an, and Daping, which are all renowned for their higher elevation tea farms and older tea trees. For this reason, it is a great introduction to higher-end Phoenix Oolong, offering an experience of tea from older trees at an otherwise impossible value.

We would like to sip on YiYi Rice while we are working on something, or hanging out with a friend. It is deep and sweet, presenting a relaxed version of the high-end Phoenix Oolongs we love.

It has a caramelized and floral aroma that seeps deep into the palate. The tea is very well crafted, so the leaves are full and open evenly in the gaiwan, revealing their mottled surface from the bruising process. Their liquor has a clean taste, with charcoal notes threaded evenly through its earthy sweetness and uplifted finish. This is a great oolong for daily drinking, at a truly incredible value!