A Look at the Latest Award-Winning Teas, pt. II: Wuyi Rock Oolong Rou Gui
Today, we want to tell you about our other award-winning tea: Wuyi Rou Gui, a special rock oolong geared towards the connoisseurs.
Nestled within a small valley within the Wuyi Mountain region, a valley marked off by a famous natural landmark known as “Horse Head Rock,” Rou Gui is one of the most beloved and widely grown all Wuyi rock oolongs in Wuyi Mountain region. This is due in large part to the unique terroir of the surrounding area.
We’ve discussed before some of the features that make this region special. There’s the ancient volcanic activity that resulted in an especially mineral dense soil, and there’s the nearby sea that whips up a steady supply of humidity and rainfall.
And yet, even in the perfect home, one can still find some rooms more inviting than others.
This is no less true in the Wuyi Mountain region, where the area within the Wuyi Mountain World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site that prove to be the best terrior to grow rock oolong teas, the locals call it Zhen Yan, meaning the core rocky area. The small area surrounding Horse Head Rock proves quite exceptional for growing rock tea, especially famous for Rou Gui. After all, so much goes into the flavor of tea than just the mineral composition of the soil and the amount of rainfall. There are other influences as well: the amount of sunlight exposure and the rainfall, the mist and the stream running at the foot of the mountain, the nearby vegetation, the indigenous wildlife, the altitude, the temperature, etc. It just so happens that right around Horse Head Rock, so many of these environmental variables seem to have been perfectly calibrated by nature herself for the sake of the tea bushes.
Indeed, Rou Gui oolong
(sometimes translated as Cinnamon Rock Oolong) proves just how much terroir contributes to flavor. True to its namesake, it possesses a distinctive cassia fragrance, and when infused, this tea produces a warming, velvety texture complemented by a flavor profile reminiscent of everything we love about the holidays—mulling spices, toasty grains, dark cocoa, and baked stonefruit, and tropical fruits.
Another feature, unique to authentic Rou Gui, is its lingering sweetness accompanied by a cooling sensation after each sip. It’s believed that these qualities are imparted from the surrounding rocky mountains and the minerals in the soil and water, absorbed by the tea bushes, and they give this tea a character unlike any other.
We think it’s pretty easy to see why this special tea could become an award-winner, and we’re excited to inaugurate it into our circle of champions. Whether you’re a seasoned tea drinker or an experimentalist who just wants to try something different, we cannot recommend Wuyi Rou Gui Rock Oolong highly enough!