Da Hong Pao

Da Hong Pao, the big red robe, is the crown of yánchá — the “rock teas” grown in the steep, mineral-rich gullies of the Wuyi mountains in northern Fujian. Legend ties the name to a few ancient mother bushes on the cliffs, so revered that their tiny annual harvest is no longer sold; today’s Da Hong Pao comes from their propagated descendants and blends of Wuyi cultivars.

The style is heavy: substantial oxidation, then a real charcoal roast carried out in slow stages over months. The leaf comes out dark, twisted and dry-fragrant, and the cup is roasted and mineral rather than floral — caramel, baked stone fruit, cocoa, and the famous rock rhyme, yányùn, a wet-stone minerality that seems to come from the cliffs themselves.

In the cup

Brew it boiling and brief, gongfu style. The early steeps are roast-forward; as they open, the fruit and minerality come through, and a good Da Hong Pao will give a dozen infusions before it fades. It rewards a seasoned clay pot, which softens the roast.