Wild Tongmu Unsmoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong

- DATE OF PICKINGSpring 2026
- TongmuWuyishan, Fujian
- ELEVATION600 meters
- Xingcun XiaozhongTea Varietal
This special offering Wild Tongmu Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is picked one young leaf at a time, entirely by hand. The tea plants are wildly propagated by seed and left untended. This natural selection creates genetic variation and diversity between each standalone tea bush. Each bush grows between one and three meters high, out of cracks in the volcanic rock of the Tongmu mountains. The result is beautiful long twisted leaves packed with textural complexity and minerality.

Tongmu is a tiny region that has been designated for special protection and recognition. Non-residents are not allowed into the preserve without special approval and sponsorship from a resident.

The region of Tongmu is unique within the Wuyishan region for its volcanic rock formations, and extremely thick vegetation coverage and biodiversity. Nestled along either bank upstream of the Jiuqu (Nine Bends) Brook, the mountains create a unique microclimate, perfect for many species of birds and a healthy ecosystem. Mountain spring water springs out of the ground and runs down every slope, and the rocky land and cold weather make for slow-growing but singularly incredible tea.

Crafted by the Li Family

This pure expression of the incredible terroir of the Tongmu microclimate is packed with sweet mouth-watering minerality from the volcanic rocky soil, and posseses the cooling tingling sensations the Li Xiangxi describes as yun, a nod to the biodiversity and the evergreen forests within the nature preserve.

true
spice
95
sandalwood, pine
true
savory
60
cinnamon roll
true
fruit
65
melon
true
floral
50
violet
false
true
vaporous, complex, soft-minerality
Tasting Profile
- spice - sandalwood, pine
- savory - cinnamon roll
- fruit - melon
- floral - violet
- texture - vaporous, complex, soft-minerality

Tongmu is one of the most famous tea growing regions in the world, and this tea shows why. While classic Wuyi Gongfu Black is full of rich sweet savory flavors and honey in the aftertaste, only a Tongmu harvest like this one can have such intense cooling forest flavors and vaporous floral aromatics to complement the silky minerality.

The aroma of juicy melon and lilac come forward as soon as water is poured over the leaves. The first infusion evokes a fresh out of the oven cinnamon roll, complete with the sweet almost floral side of fresh-ground cinnamon and the richness of bakery bread.

As the tea steeps out, the cooling tingling sensations build up in the back of the throat and on the tongue, deepening the intensity of each brew until the tea seems to sparkle. In late steepings, the silken texture and honeyed sweetness are carried on a vaporous sandalwood aromatic backbone. The aroma lingers on the tongue long after the tea is steeped out.

This 2026 harvest is a beautifully complex and rewarding brew with the cooling character of Tongmu and the aromatic depth of true wild tea.