2021 Spring Laoshan Black

Crafted By the He Family

Real pioneers & leaders in Laoshan's tea commmunity, the He family hand picks their tea from their 15 acre farm, hand finished in their own small workshop.

true
savory
100
chocolate brownies, waffle cone
true
fruit
75
cherry, elderberry jam
true
spice
50
cinnamon
true
floral
40
honey
true
minerality, sweet lingering
Tasting Profile
- savory - chocolate brownies, waffle cone
- fruit - cherry, elderberry jam
- spice - cinnamon
- floral - honey
- texture - minerality, sweet lingering

- DATE OF PICKINGMay 12, 2021
- Laoshan VillageShandong Province
- ELEVATIONsea level
- longjing quntiTea Varietal
This new 2021 spring harvest is now in stock!
The He Family’s Laoshan Black has become their most famous tea, earning them features in the US and Chinese news media for their innovative work. This tea is fed by Laoshan’s famously sweet mountain spring water and oxidized traditionally for three days before finishing to bring out rich chocolate notes. This year's spring was particularly cool with its start a full two weeks later than usual. Rich, full bodied and satisfying, Laoshan Black has become our benchmark for all other black teas.

The He Family also recommends:

2020 Autumn Laoshan Black
This relatively new tea is fed by sweet mountain spring water and oxidized in the sun for three days before finishing to bring out signature chocol[...]

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2021 Spring Laoshan Gongfu Black
Laoshan Gongfu Black is one of the most difficult finishes for the He Family, requiring flat-pressing and hand-twisting and curling to achieve the fin[...]

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2021 Wild Laoshan Gan Zao Ye
Gan Zao Ye (Wild Jujube) is a naturally caffeine-free herbal tea that grows unmanaged and wild on the slopes of Laoshan. The He family forages a li[...]

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Spring 2021 Update from the Fields

Early spring in Laoshan this year came late, but stayed consistently cool and misty for a perfectly-aligned harvest.

In recent years, spring has fluctuated between freezing nights and warm days, forcing the He Family to leave their greenhouse covers on longer, but this year, the nights were temperate enough to remove the greenhouse covers early, letting the buds slowly form in the open ocean air. The results are spectacular, one of the first harvests in many years to line up with ideal conditions, letting the He Family focus more on picking and finishing craft and less on emergency field management.

What this means for the tea itself is smaller yields but extremely sweet, rich and aromatic brews packed with more minerality and textural nuance.

'In their own words, Mr. He and Verdant co-owner He Qingqing take us behind-the-scenes at their family workshop to show the meticulous care that goes into making their famous Laoshan Black tea'

4
6-8
205
30 seconds
15-30
5
5
205
2-3 seconds
3
5
12
40
8 hours
Steeping Instructions
Western
4 g.6-8
oz.use 205° watersteep 30 secondsresteep many times
add 15-30 sec. each infusion
Gongfu
5 g.5 ozuse 205° watersteep 2-3 seconds
add 3 sec. per steepingenjoy many steepings
Iced/Cold
5 g.12
oz.use room temp. waterrefrigerate overnight
8 hoursadd ice & enjoy