Pesticide-Free Mei Zhan Cliff Tea/Yan Cha

This tea has been cultivated since the Qing Dynasty.  Its leaves are long and slender, and it is named for carrying the distinctive aroma of plums and plum blossoms.  Mei Zhan is one of the classic Cliff Teas, or Rock Teas, of the Wuyi Mountains.  This is actually the tea that was bred to produce the famous Golden Horse's Eyebrow (Jin Jun Mei).  While this style originated in Anxi, this particular Mei Zhan was grown beside the banks of the Nine Bends River in the Wuyi Mountains.  Dry its leaves carry a roasted, piney aroma, reminiscent of roasted bark.  Wet, its smell is warming, dark, and roasted.  It produces a silky, honey-colored brew with characteristic plum fragrance and a flavor that is sweet, earthy, robust, and savory.  Its flavor is beautifully balanced, with flavors of wood all and hint of orchids.  It has then stone-like yan yun flavor that is characteristic of good Cliff Teas.  It makes the mouth water and leaves a sweetness on the tongue and in the mouth (huitian).  This