Tongmuguan Century-old Tree Black Tea - Floral

What's so special about this tea?

Bainian Laocong Huaxiang (百年老枞花香) is a rare and prized specialty even within Tongmuguan. This tea is made from century-old wild tea trees growing at around 1,200 metres in the high mountain area of Miaowan village. At this altitude, cooler temperatures and slower growth give the first spring harvest in early May a naturally bright, lifted floral character — Huaxiang, meaning "floral fragrance."

We source this black tea from a small producer in Miaowan village who has kept his production deliberately small, focusing on native local cultivars rather than commercially bred varieties. Now in his seventies, he has spent a lifetime crafting black tea and working with old bush material. Hand-picked and processed as an unsmoked Zhengshan Xiaozhong, this lot reflects the judgement that comes from those decades.

What struck us most was how differently this tea expressed itself compared to other century-old bush black teas we have encountered — a remarkably refined and delicate floral side, rare in teas of this type.

From the first infusion, the aroma is bright and layered, opening with ripe berries and mango, woven together with the delicate floral note of osmanthus, wild orchid and a warm honey note.
On the palate, the tea is light-bodied and silky smooth, offering juicy notes of peach and purple grape lifted by a honey-like sweetness. A subtle woody and floral undertone runs beneath, adding depth and complexity to the brew. As the session progresses, the tea grows increasingly aromatic, with an earthy, moss character emerging in the background.

The liquor is a deep orange-amber, clear and luminous in the cup. The finish is clean and graceful — the throat left moistened and comfortable — followed by a huigan carrying floral and fruity sweetness that lingers long after the cup is empty.