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Originally shared in our Tasting Journal Newsletter
This article is excerpted from our Daily Deal Newsletter.
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Generally, roast is talked about a lot more in coffee than tea. Tea can be roasted, too!
In fact, heat is a critical, almost universal step in finishing everything from green tea to Big Red Robe. The Li Family in Wuyishan is working to bring the conversation in tea back to the roast, and so far, they’ve been racking up awards across the board for their unique roasting work.
But what makes hand-firing unique in the world of roasting craft?
As it turns out, most roasty teas are simply baked to get that dark flavor. The electric ovens common in the industry might make roasting faster, but as Mr. Li explains in this video, the problem with oven-roasting is that you have no fine control. You are stuck with whatever comes out, with some leaves over-baked and some under.
Compare this to the labor-intensive process of hand-firing in bamboo baskets over special local Wuyi hardwood embers and you get something completely different.
Mr. Li cites a study done at Wuyi University on the effect of the rising radiant heat of hand-firing and it yields a chemically different caramelization process than the heat of an oven.
How does this play out in the cup?
With hand-fired teas, you get deep, more potent aftertaste. The deep roast doesn’t ever overwhelm the natural qualities of the tea itself or the Wuyi terroir, but rather tends to intensify them. This is the magic possible when a real craftsperson is hand-turning the leaves, controlling the heat by piling ash over the embers or scraping them bare, and knowing by smell when the tea is exactly at the perfect moment to pull and rest.
This process is a lot of work. From personal experience, I can tell you that Mr. Li would not do it if it did not give something incredible to his family's teas.
The roast process takes about fifteen hours, followed by a month of resting, and often several rounds of re-roasting over many to control for moisture and get the perfect results. We were invited to film this highly specialized work of hand-firing, and within a minute of entering the roasting room, our camera malfunctioned from the intense heat. That’s how intense the Li Family’s commitment to old-school craft is.
Apart from our stunning collection of 2022 dark roasted Wuyi Oolongs, I also want to draw your attention to two other deep-roasted reserve-level Wuyi oolongs subject to similarly intense hand-firing craft, and a long aging period to bring out even more depth:
If you are interested in the effect of meticulous hand firing, these two reserve teas from the Li family are great ways to explore the unique textural depth and lingering aftertaste the Li Family’s craft makes possible.
Check out more roasted teas from the Li Family:
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Ten Yr. Aged Full Roast Shui XianOriginally picked in 2007, this Shui Xian Wuyi Oolong has been carefully re-roasted and rested each year for a decade. The aging and careful roasting has brought out beautiful complexity in this tea, pairing Shui Xian's compelling texture with the mineral sweetness and mustiness of age. Sweet savory and salty elements keep the brew cozy and compelling, while sweet florals and intoxicating, evocative aroma make us nostalgic for the Li Family's biodiverse tea groves. This unique selection is not to be missed. - 2021 Full Roast Shui XianShui Xian is named after the Narcissus flower, but has the deeper meaning of “Water Sprite.” The cliffs above the Longchuan river are full of caves and ghost stories, so it is not hard to imagine this tea getting its name from an old Taoist legend. Mr. Li hand-fired this batch of Shui Xian to give its cooling texture even more sparkling, tingling intensity. Shui Xian varietal is known for its foresty woody flavors and deep lingering texture. The Li Family’s biodiverse forested tea gardens within the Wuyi Ecological Preserve help play up the varietals natural complexity.
- 2022 Dark Roast Ban Tian YaoAfter a 24 hour withering and oxidizing process, this tea was hand-fired over another 16 hours, rested, and re-fired five times, then allowed to rest a full month before release. Why does Mr. Li choose to invest so much hand labor into this tea? The weather for this Ban Tian Yao harvest came together so perfectly with the inherent fruity flavors of the varietal that he was confident that he could coax out deep spiced complexity to complement the fruity notes for a true reserve offering. The result is spectacular; not only is this the most nuanced harvest we have tasted, but the fig cake richness is actually tempered by a piney cooling yun sensation, rounding this out as a powerful and commanding tea.
- 2009 Full Roast Tie LuohanThis aged Tie Luohan (or Iron Arhat) is one of the four famous varietals that define Wuyi oolong teas. Originally roasted and finished over several months in 2009, the Li Family has carefully re-roasted and rested this tea each year over the past eight years. Each meticulous hand-firing process takes over sixteen hours, and in total this tea has been fired fourteen times for deep intense texture and powerful aftertaste. Full of fudgey, salty sweetness, this powerfully flavorful tea steeps out in a long flavor arc over many brews into beautiful mineral sweetness with soothing throat-coating texture and a hint of clean mustiness.
- 2022 Dark Roast Tie LuohanTie Luohan (or Iron Arhat) is one of the four famous varietals that define Wuyi oolong teas, making it highly sought after, with true Tie Luohan varietal in low supply. The Li Family uses a meticulously slow hand firing to bring out the varietal’s natural qualities - a balance of minerality, chocolate notes and subtle florals. Delightfully, the tea finishes with cooling cedar and a light lingering sparkle that pushes towards yun.
- 2022 Full Roast Big Red RobeThis tea was hand-fired three times over three months for a much deeper, darker tea. The deep roast makes this tea even sweeter, while bringing out a unique sparkling / cooling sensation that you don’t normally see in Big Red Robe. The textural sensations of the roast accentuate and contrast with the warming flavor of the tea for a powerful dynamic. Each round of hand-firing takes over twelve hours, adding an immense amount of labor to finishing this reserve-level tea, but the natural biodiversity and mineral-driven terroir of the Li Family’s land make this worth the extra effort to finish so meticulously.
- 2021 Full Roast Shui Xian Mini-Cake
The Li Family is excited to offer their first ever 90g cake pressing of this special tea! The Li Family's traditional hand-firing process brings out this Shui Xian oolong's naturally cooling, tingling textural sensations, foresty flavors, and lingering sweetness. This special pressing is the Li Family's very first Shui Xian cake, finished for long term aging to keep building deep complexity over time. Shui Xian is named after the Narcissus flower, but has the deeper meaning of “Water Sprite.” The cliffs above the Longchuan river are full of caves and ghost stories, so it is not hard to imagine this tea getting its name from an old Taoist legend. The Li Family’s biodiverse forested tea gardens within the Wuyi Ecological Preserve help play up the varietals natural complexity.
$65.00 - 2009 Full Roast Tie Luohan Mini Cake
The Li Family is excited to offer their first ever 90g cake pressing of this special aged tea! This aged Tie Luohan (or Iron Arhat) is one of the four famous varietals that define Wuyi oolong teas. Originally roasted and finished over several months in 2009, the Li Family has carefully re-roasted and rested this tea each year over the past eight years. Each meticulous hand-firing process takes over sixteen hours, and in total this tea has been fired fourteen times for deep intense texture and powerful aftertaste. Full of fudgey, salty sweetness, this powerfully flavorful tea steeps out in a long flavor arc over many brews into beautiful mineral sweetness with soothing throat-coating texture and a hint of clean mustiness.
$120.00
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