Early Spring Mengding Huang Ya Yellow Tea

From the misty mountains of famous Meng Ding mountain of Yaan, Sichuan province, Meng Ding Yellow tea is one of the only three Chinese yellow teas in the world. Meng Ding mountain is where tea was first cultivated in China about 1200 years ago. The first eight bushes cultivated by Taoist Wu Lizhen during Tang dynasty called the Eight Immortal, see picture below that Victoria standing in front of the preserved eight bushes. This is a fascinating tea with a rich history that we proudly carry. This yellow tea is plucked from the local old Sichuan tea bush varietal (thinner and smaller leaves), and has a stronger aroma and flavor than other more commonly grown tea bushes in the Yaan tea-producing region. The processing of yellow tea requires extensive skills and is more labor-intensive, so production is very limited. A truly precious specialty tea, not commonly found on the market. However, some Mengding yellow tea offered on the market are not true yellow tea by definition, but a twisted process that makes it appear like yellowish yellow tea. 

This tea has a sensational flavor profile with nutty notes, buttery, slight vegetal taste. It is very sweet, the minute you pour your water into the tea, you smell the honey sweetness in the air. We detected subtle notes with sweet pea, hay, artichokes, almond, corn silk, and vanilla. And it really doesn't get bitter. This tea is indeed a rare delicacy. You can lounge and easily brew without worrying about over-brewing or bitterness, and easily get several refills out of this tea. 

Additional Info

Origin:                  Meng Ding mountain, Ming Shan county, Sichuan province, China

Harvest:                March 2023

Varietal:                Local indigenous varietal called Tu Cha

Plucking standard:   Buds and baby leaf

Tasting Profile

This tea has a nutty and complex flavor, a hints of sweet pea, hay, artichokes, almond, corn silk, and vanilla. It is very smooth with a honey sweet finish. It withstands multiple steeps and doesn't become bitter, very forgiving.   

Steeping Guide

185^oF, 3g for 6 oz of spring/filtered water, adjust to taste, 1 minutes,  up to 4 steepings. If use gongfu style, recommend to use gaiwan. We advise against the use of tap water as well as purified water. 

We recommend to use gongfu brewing for this tea, use 7g of leave to 150ml gaiwan and you will get the best out of the tea.