The “Dragonfly” style was the most traditional oolong finishing technique in Anxi before the rolled ball became popular. Master Zhang has been experimenting with this style for years as part of his work as a teacher and community leader for other farmers in Daping. Every year Master Zhang sets aside any interesting standouts for long term aging, which requires re-roasting every year to keep the moisture level as low as possible. The slow process of change brings out deep complexity and dark sweet undertones over many years. Master Zhang is sharing a portion of his personal reserve from early experiments for his revival project, giving us the chance to taste the first truly aged Revival Style Anxi oolong from Daping.

Master Zhang's work has won awards at conferences in Fujian and Guangdong for his incredible craft in traditional Tieguanyin finishing. This autumn, we are excited to once again offer his reserve designation harvest with a traditional finish, undoubtedly Master Zhang's favorite tea to make and share with friends. Master Zhang's award-winning technique brings out the deep fruit and dark florals that don't have a chance to shine in greener, more modern finishes. Instead of simply designating his higher elevation teas as "Reserve," Master Zhang holds back this title to only the very few pickings that meet his criteria of intense aroma, lingering pervasive aftertaste, rich deep florals, light cooling sensations, and creamy texture. The conditions while picking and processing only rarely come together to facilitate a tea that hits every thing that Master Zhang strives for. This limited harvest embraces his award-winning ideals for a stunning brew.

Master Zhang is a true innovator. He doesn’t make tea to follow trends. He experiments and takes risks to make tea better for the generations to come. This Original Wulong Revival uses the older Ben Shan varietal leaf and undergoes three times more careful hand turning and fluffing than modern Anxi oolong. For finishing, it is loosely rolled in the oldest style of oolong making that is half strip style and half ball, with many of the leaves more strip-style than rolled. Master Zhang describes the shape as a dragonfly. This hand processing and shaping yields a different tea - a genre of its own outside of Wuyi style, Guangdong style or Anxi style. The light roast is rewarding and brings out a unique savory sweet complexity we don’t see in other teas from Master Zhang.