Product Overview
Dali tea (Camellia taliensis (W. W. Sm.) Melch.) is a shrub or small tree of the Theaceae family and the genus Camellia. It is mainly distributed in Dali, Yongde, Fengqing, Jingdong and other counties in Yunnan, China. It grows under forests or in valley bushes at an altitude of 1700-2100 meters. In 1917, British botanist W. W. Smith used the tea tree in Gantong Temple in Dali as a model plant and named it Dali tea.
Coming from high mountain wild tea tree gardens in Da Li, Yunnan, this 100-year-old tree Dian Hong tea is an absolute treat. High mountains have the best conditions for growing tea, as the daytime has heavy sun while the evenings are cool, slowing down the growing process and allowing the tea to develop more complexity before maturation. These leaves are also from Ancient trees, giving these teas centuries to create a rich flavor profile and length both in energy and on the palate.
The tea has dark twisted leaves with a fruity aroma. Instead of processing using the modern black tea methodology, the ancient sun-drying method was adopted. This creates a tea with a gentle, sweet aroma and a fresh and full-bodied taste. The amino acids and the polyphenols are retained with the help of the ancient sun-drying methodology. The tea produces a clear, deep, rich amber-red colored tea liquor with a distinct aroma. The aroma is fresh, honey-floral with a slightly spicy undertone. The taste is soft, with a slight bitterness, honey-chocolate notes are felt, and the floral-nutty aftertaste is refreshing and clean.
Brewing Guide: Use a round tablespoon or about 3-4 grams for 8-12 ounces of water at a temperature right up to boiling. Boiling water will bring the leaves flavors out quickly. To heighten first steep flavors, rinse the leaves briefly with boiling water, pour off, let the leaves steam for a few minutes and re-infuse. We suggest a steep of 3 minutes to experience the variety of flavors offered. Longer steeps of 3 + minutes will give more body to the cup. Leaves will steep multiple times.