Pesticide-Free Sparrow Tongue Big Red Robe Cliff Tea ~ Que She Da Hong Pao Yan Cha

Que She, or Qiao She, as it's known in Chinese, is one of the famous rock teas, or cliff teas of the Wuyi Mountains. While it is often said to have been propagated from cuttings taken in the 1980's from one of the six Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) mother bushes, genetic testing in 2009 revealed that it is not a direct clone, but, in fact, a natural descendant of these six mother bushes.  These bushes, which sprout out of the cliffside in Jiu Long Ke (The Nine Dragons Nest), were those honored in legend, presented with a great, brocade robe, a gift to demonstrate the gratitude of the emperor for this tea having saved the life of the empress.  The name "Big Red Robe" also refers to the reddish sheen that lies atop the green of the youngest leaves, making the tea bushes appear almost as if they are clothed in red.  The name "Sparrow Tongue," or "Que/Qiao She," refers to the tender and delicate shape of the small leaves from which it's made.  Despite the delicate form of these leaves, this te