Product Overview
A rare gem of the WuYi family, this Niu Lan Keng Rou Gui hails from the most prestigious territory of Niu Lan Keng in the high mountain nature reserve of WuYi Shan. Niu Lan Keng is an area where the premier tea trees are cultivated. It is located in the core area of the three pits and two streams in Wu Yi Shan, one of the three representative areas of Rou Gui Wuyi Rock Tea.
"Three pits and two streams are often mentioned in the production area of Wuyi Rock Tea, which refers to "Hui Yuan Keng", "Niu Lan Keng", "Dao Shui Keng", "Liu Xiang Jian" and "Wu Yuan Jian." Between the rock valleys of “Jiang”, the vegetation status and shading conditions are good. There are sweet springs at the bottom of the valley. The sunshine time in summer is short and the temperature difference between day and night is large. The rock valleys in winter can withstand cold winds and changes in temperature. Weathered rock, with good permeability, rich in trace elements, moderate acidity, and obvious tea taste. It is the central production area of Zhengyan tea in the traditional standard of Wuyi Mountain rock tea. In other words, tea from "three pits and two streams" is the best quality tea raw material in Wuyi rock tea. Zhengyan tea garden has good soil permeability, high potassium and manganese content, and moderate acidity, and the tea tastes with obvious rock charm.
Niu Lan Keng Rou Gui is roasted with charcoal three times in a controlled-temperature room for over ten hours on each of the roastings. After the roasting, the flavor of the tea needs to be developed by resting the leaves over several weeks. This whole process is then repeated multiple times and can take up to a whole year to get the finished product.
The aroma of the leaves is chocolatey sweet, when brewed, it exudes noticeable spicy notes of cinnamon toward the ends. There is a slight pine resin and woodsmoke on the leaves as well. The brew is immediately thick in the mouth, with strong mineralogy noticeable on the tips of the tongue. It has the best quality characteristics of Rou Gui and the tea can last for many steeping without losing its flavor. The brew stays consistent for six or even seven infusions, getting very thick around the third, and very sweet toward the sixth.
An unreplicable fragrance, this Rou Gui’s obvious mineral sweetness and bold aroma are beautifully complimented by an amazing floral mouthfeel—all crowning it as the most classic of the rock tea family.
Brewing Guide: This oolong tea is best brewed gongfu style using an earthenware Yixing pot or a lidded gaiwan using a high leaf-to-water ratio. We recommend using 5 grams (approximately 3 rounded Tbl.) per 5 ounces of water. Bring the water to approximately 195 degrees--just below the boiling point. Put the tea into a pre-warmed pot or gaiwan and pour the water directly over the tea leaves. After about 10 seconds pour out and discard the first infusion and refill the pot. Steep for approximately 20 seconds to 1 minute. If using a pot with a mesh infuser, remove the leaves and set them aside for the second infusion. If using a pot without an infuser, decant the tea into a serving pitcher or directly into the cups, but do not leave the leaves in the water. We strongly encourage our customers to use teapots with large mesh infusers to allow the leaves to fully expand in the water. The infuser can then be removed after the preferred steeping time and then re-used for subsequent infusions.