2020 Big Red Robe

Produced By Li Xiangxi

Li Xiangxi's family works together in Tongmu applying their incredible skill at roasting to their spring-fed high mountain tea. Their proceeds go to teaching rural tea ceremony.

Tasting Profile

VERY SAVORY – ginger, cinnamon, juniper
FRUITY – dates, tangerine
FLORAL – lilac, vanilla
SAVORY – oak, malt syrup

DATE OF PICKINGSpring 2020

ELEVATION600 METERS

Qi DanTea Varietal

Li Xiangxi's family grows this tea within the Wuyishan Ecological Preserve, hand picking every leaf and delicately roasting this tea in bamboo baskets over charcoal embers to bring out the natural minerality of the region. Li Xiangxi's eldest brother oversees the family's oolong teas, and believes strongly in standing against the modern trend to over-roast and cover the natural flavor of the tea. This makes the family's Big Red Robe unique among its peers. While Big Red Robe is named after five original bushes that still stand today in Wuyishan, modern Big Red Robe is made from Qidan varietal, which is known for its tremendous balance, and deep warmth. It is truly the archetypal tea of the region, and the place to start your exploration of Wuyi Oolongs as a grounding point of reference. The LI Family’s Big Red Robe consistently wins gold medals at Wuyi tea competitions.

Big Red Robe is named after the five bushes of legend that the emperor of China personally recognized for saving the life of his empress. Locals in Wuyishan say that the sick and dying empress was brought back from the brink by the aroma of this tea because she was originally from Wuyishan and her true affliction was homesickness. The aroma of the tea transported her home. While the name Big Red Robe is often confused and used to market any strip-style oolongs from Wuyishan, it technically refers to the Qidan varietal, cloned from the original five bushes that still survive to this day. This varietal is an incredible and versatile balance of rich warm satisfying fruity flavor and long caramel aftertaste and sweetness. If someone has never had a Wuyi tea before, this is the place to start as it encompasses all the flavor and aroma that made Wuyi so famous to begin with.

Steeping Instructions

Western

5 g.6-8
oz.use 208° watersteep 20 secondsresteep many times
add 10 sec. each infusion

Gongfu

7 g.6 oz.use 208° watersteep 5 seconds
add 3 sec. per steepingenjoy many steepings

Iced/Cold

4 g.12
oz.use room temp. waterrefrigerate overnight
(8 to 12 hours)add ice & enjoy