Verdant Tea

Hand Fired Crassicolumna Yabao Black

Hand Fired Crassicolumna Yabao Black

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Rare Ancient near-tea relative
Hand-fired in a wok
This yabao black tea is finished using classic Yunnan Golden Buds techniques for a deep velvety texture and notes of orange cream, orchid, ginseng, and semolina.
Spring 2025 ♦ Mt. Ailao, Yunnan
Rare Ancient near-tea relative
Hand-fired in a wok
This yabao black tea is finished using classic Yunnan Golden Buds techniques for a deep velvety texture and notes of orange cream, orchid, ginseng, and semolina.
Spring 2025 ♦ Mt. Ailao, Yunnan
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Crafted by the Dongsa Cooperative

True zero-intervention wild tea, foraged from ancient tea forests in one of the most remote tea growing regions in the world.
 
The Dongsa Cooperative was founded to promote responsible stewardship of these tea forests and pass on old-school pu’er hand-crafting techniques that yield incredibly complex tea.
    • DATE OF PICKINGSpring 2025
    • QianjiazhaiMt. Ailao, Yunnan
    • ELEVATION2000-2250m
    • Camellia CrassicolumnaTea Varietal

    The Dongsa Coopartive’s first ever application of traditional Yunnan wok-firing black tea techniques to their stunningly-rare yabao harvest!

    The Li Family and other members of the Dongsa Cooperative sustainably forage from towering crassicolumna trees to harvest the early spring woody buds that make this new black tea. Camellia Crassicolumna (厚轴茶) is a wild near-relative of tea native to Qianjiazhai; because this plant currently a protected species. One of the cooperative's responsibilities is to protect these trees from poaching. The incredibly-sweet, flavor-packed buds are traditionally piled and allowed to oxidize fully in the Mt. Ailao sun without heat treatment, locking in the natural flavor and aroma of the region, then they are heat-fixed over several rounds of careful wok-firing, done entirely by hand to bring out a deep Yunnan Golden Buds flavor profile. Crassicolumna is naturally caffeine-free and rich in antioxidants.

100g tea cake pressing
25g pack of loose leaf tea
loose leaf yabao black tea
  • true
    90
    steamed bun, semolina
    true
    85
    ginseng
    true
    70
    orange creamsicle
    true
    80
    orchid, jasmine
    false
    true
    mouth-watering, crisp

    Tasting Profile

    • savory - steamed bun, semolina
    • spice - ginseng
    • fruit - orange creamsicle
    • floral - orchid, jasmine
    • texture - mouth-watering, crisp

the Dongsa Cooperative also recommends:

  • 'This tea is striking in its complexity and depth. The brew was deep amber, almost more similar to the color of Rou Gui Wuyi Oolong than to black tea. The flavor was packed with floral gardenia, sweet grapes and an aftertaste that reminded us of cotton candy. As we steeped it out we got lychee, candied rose, honey and pineapple skin'

  • 5
    6-8
    205
    20 seconds
    10
    5
    6
    205
    8 seconds
    4
    5
    12
    room temp
    8 hours

    Steeping Instructions

    Western

    5 g.6-8
    oz.
    use 205° watersteep 20 secondsresteep many times
    add 10 sec. each infusion

    Gongfu

    5 g.6 ozuse 205° watersteep 8 seconds
    add 4 sec. per steeping
    enjoy many steepings

    Iced/Cold

    5 g.12
    oz.
    use room temp. waterrefrigerate overnight
    8 hours
    add ice & enjoy

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