2023 Osmanthus Jiu Qu Hong Mei Black Tea

2023秋 | 桂花九曲红梅 西湖

A delicate Jiu Qu Hong Mei Black Tea from the Hangzhou’s West Lake region, uplifted by a sprinkle of fresh hand-picked Osmanthus (Gui Hua) flowers.

A seasonal offering made only during the autumn months when the osmanthus trees bloom. We harvest leaf from the core Xi Hu / West Lake growing area (not lower grades from Zhejiang or other regions) as base for this lovely infusion. This is the same leaf that is typically made into high grade Long Jing, but processed here into a delicate black tea (hong cha) then enhanced with a sprinkling of freshly dried osmanthus flowers. 

Harvesting and processing these fresh osmanthus flowers is very tedious work. The best quality flowers must be picked at the break of dawn -- our tea farmers wake at 4am and make their way to the trees to harvest only what is needed each day. Each stalk is then hand-processed to ensure the tiny, delicate flowers remain intact.

Strong recommendation, seldom offered outside of the Zhejiang/Shanghai region!

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