“Our high elevation tea farm is situated over the ruins
of an ancient mountaintop fort, and protected by mist
and clouds throughout the day for sweet and complex tea.
My grandfather planted the first tea bushes here in Longjuan just a few generations ago
with the firm belief that our microclimate can stand up to the most famous Tieguanyin
growing regions in China like Daping Village.
Because our growing region is new, we aren’t bound by tradition.
We finish our teas the way we think they want to be finished, whether that means as an oolong,
a black tea, or even pressed into cakes – every harvest speaks to us, and we listen.
We invite you to try the teas that have changed our whole region for the better,
and see for yourself our passion for innovation and craft.”
– Mr. Liu
Our Teas
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2021 Tieguanyin Xiao ZhongThis experimental loose leaf black tea is made by the Liu family with leaves from their Tieguanyin tea plants. The inspiration for this tea is Wuyi Xiao Zhong, a traditional and full-bodied black tea from Wuyishan (sometimes smoked with special pine wood). You might expect a bracing and full bodied tea, but when you taste this Tieguanyin varietal processed as a curled, roasted black tea, you find something quite different. Cozy and satisfying, this tea has an unmistakable floral Tieguanyin core under the black tea finishing.
- 2021 Longjuan Spring Tieguanyin
The Liu Family has been quietly cultivating incredible 'off the beaten path' Tieguanyin for generations on their mountaintop family plot. Their old-growth tea plants benefit from deep roots, rocky soil and daily clouds and mist shading the plants from excess sun. The result is a complex Tieguanyin full of classic creamy notes, along with a unique spiced quality that expresses the Longjuan climate.
- Tieguanyin Xiao Zhong Mini Cake
This fun, experimental black tea is pressed after finishing into single-serving 7g mini-cakes. Like the Liu Family's loose leaf Tieguanyin XIao Zhong, the inspiration for this tea is Wuyi Xiao Zhong, a traditional and full-bodied black tea from Wuyishan (sometimes smoked with special pine wood). You might expect a bracing and full bodied tea, but when you taste this Tieguanyin varietal processed as a pressed black tea, you find something different. The Liu Family has created a tea that is full of juicy fruity notes, rich spice and savory undertones. The mini-cake format of this tea makes for convenient brewing, aging and transportation.
- 2021 Tieguanyin Jin Jun MeiWhile Tieguanyin Xiaozhong uses smaller leaves for a traditional black tea, the Liu Family'a Tieguanyin Jin Jun Mei uses large Tieguanyin buds, orange with down, for a unique and particularly uncommon offering. This is a chance to taste the rich, sweet and savory flavor of bud material in the naturally floral Tieguanyin varietal. This tea is a clear demonstration that farmers like the Liu Family are not tied by tradition to only make what is currently accepted with the varietals they grow.
- 2021 Tieguanyin Big Red RobeThis experimental tea uses Tieguanyin leaves, normally tightly curled, and finishes them with Wuyi-style strip-oolong processing. The tea is twisted and given a heavier roast to evoke Big Red Robe style. The fascinating thing about this tea is that, despite a processing style that points to Wuyi, the flavor is still one hundred percent Tieguanyin. The pull between floral-herbaceous Tieguanyin, and mineral-heavy cozy roast makes for a more dynamic tasting experience.
- Tieguanyin Green Tea Mini CakeWhile oolong tea takes the most labor to finish - requiring an immense amount of skill and experience - green tea is, in its way, harder to do well. With so much less processing, green tea is a more transparent portrait of a place, really showing off the ‘true’ flavor of both the tea varietal and the conditions underwhich it grew. It is a bold move to make a green tea for the first time, but the Liu Family’s land, tea bushes and craft are up for the challenge. This tea has been carefully steamed and pressed into 7g mini-cakes for convenient brewing, aging and transportation.
- Tieguanyin Big Red Robe Mini CakeThis experimental tea uses Tieguanyin leaves, normally tightly curled, and finishes them with Wuyi-style strip-oolong processing. The tea is twisted and given a heavier roast to evoke Big Red Robe style, before being carefully steamed and pressed into 7g mini-cakes for convenient brewing, aging and transportation.. The fascinating thing about this tea is that, despite a processing style that points to Wuyi, the flavor is still one hundred percent Tieguanyin. The pull between floral-herbaceous Tieguanyin, and mineral-heavy cozy roast makes for a more dynamic tasting experience.
- 2010 Aged Tieguanyin Mini CakeThis 7g pressing from the Liu Family in Longjuan captures the depth, complexity and nuance of their early experiment aged Tieguanyin pressings in a convenient size for single session brewing. To age Tieguanyin, the Liu Family needs to reroast yearly for up to five years to control for moisture and ensure slow even change. Beyond the traditional notes of "lao tie," this pressed and aged oolong has a medicinal and cooling quality and bright foresty texture all its own.
- 2010 Aged Tieguanyin
This aged release from the Liu Family in Longjuan captures the depth, complexity and nuance of their family's unique mountaintop terroir, brought to new levels of depth with over a decade of careful aging. The Liu Family re-roasts their Tieguanyin annually for a full five years to control for moisture and ensure slow even change. This tea is packed with deep sweet, cooling notes and a mossy evergreen quality all its own
Our Home: Changtacun, Longjuan, Fujian
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● high elevation
for cool mountain mist
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● rocky soil for texture
and complexity
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● unique high plateau
for even exposure and consistency
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● established 3rd generation
tea bushes
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● tea planted near
the ruins of an ancient fort
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● organic practices
to protect our environment
Our Family
Several generations ago, most villagers in Changtacun were not tea farmers.
At their home in Changtacun, the Liu Family and their neighbors still grow most of their own food and work in a small, self-contained community.
The growing demand for tea has brought new life to the region and to Changtacun in particular. Mr. Liu remembers how everyone used to farm cabbage and staple crops, mainly for self-subsistence. The introduction of tea has raised up the entire area and brought a new means for a better life.
Through tea, the Liu Family was able to help their daughter go to Qingdao University to study, where she has opened a shop to share her family’s tea in Northern China.
The rest of the family lives in the family home on their mountain plot in Changtacun and farms their own vegetables alongside tea. Mr Liu runs the family’s fields and workshop, along with his son and youngest daughter.
He hopes that through hard work and dedication he can build his family’s tea into something that his grandchildren want to carry on.
Our Teas and Craft
We are dedicated to crafting teas
that reveal the purest expression
of our beautiful climate and
growing environment.
Our grandparents worked hard to establish our fields, and we honor their work by considering each picking, the weather, the time of day, and letting the tea become what it wants to be.
Just because Tieguanyin is traditionally made into rolled oolong doesn’t mean that is always best. We have pioneered techniques for finishing Tieguanyin like Jin Jun Mei, Big Red Robe, or Gongfu Black.
We use canola as a natural insect repellent, and then cut and spread native grasses around the tea plants as a fertilizer and to block weeds from sprouting up. This helps us fulfill our commitment to clean and sustainable farming to pass on to the next generations.
We hope our work becomes a spark to inspire the whole region to new practices in farming and finishing craft.
Your support means the world to us.
We are working to build a better future for our region and for tea. We hope that you can taste what makes Longjuan special in every sip.
THANK YOU!
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