The price of Rou Gui from the inner area (San Keng Liang Jian) of Wuyi reserve has been soaring in recent years. Very often the prices seem to have little relation to the quality of the teas, and we've rarely found teas that we felt were worth the high prices.
We received a sample of this recently from a small farmer we've worked with for several years. He purchased the fresh leaves from a small plot of Rou Gui bushes growing in Hui Yuan Keng, and processed them in his family studio. His family have been growing and processing yancha for more than 100 years.
The processing has been excellent - enough oxidation and roasting to transform the tea, bringing out the best of the qualities one looks for in a high end Rou Gui. The tea is concentrated, rich, with minerality and an aftertaste that lingers for hours.
Although not inexpensive, this is a really nice tea to bring out for those special occasion treats.
