Da Ye Hong Cha

A unique black tea from a small-scale producer, the sinuous, twisted leaves have been harvested from bushes grown from Yunnan seed in Guangdong. While recognizable as a Chinese black tea by its characteristic maltiness, the infusion refreshes with herbal notes of mint and hay, contributing to a balanced flavor reminiscent of browning sugar or crème caramel during lighter steeps. For the experimentalists: try placing a single leaf or two in a cup and steeping for ten minutes—the sweeter, buttery flavor will come to the fore; leaving it until cool makes for an excellent summertime quaff.