Zheng Shan Tea · Bingdao raw Pu’er

Zheng Shan Tea brings together distinct teas and the places that shaped them. Tongmu is the home of the series’ two Wuyi black teas. Wuyi’s rocky slopes provide the setting for Da Hong Pao, Bingdao in Yunnan for the raw Pu’er, and Fuding in Fujian for the Silver Needle.

The five teas were presented in illustrated tins. Each design connects the tea to a landscape and a way of making it: fine-bud selection for Jin Jun Mei, a pine-smoke tradition for the featured Lapsang Souchong, oolong making and roasting for Da Hong Pao, raw Pu’er processing for Bingdao, and careful withering and drying for Silver Needle.

From Tongmu, Wuyi Mountain. The evenly rolled buds are predominantly dark with visible golden tips. The liquor is clear and golden. Floral and honeyed aromas carry into a sweet, fresh cup. After brewing, the supple buds open to a bright bronze colour.

The white-necked long-tailed pheasant on the tin recalls both the contrasting colours of the dry buds and the care needed to select each spring bud.

The smoked Lapsang Souchong presented in the series has slender, tight, glossy dark leaves. The orange liquor is clear. Pine and dried longan notes emerge together, followed by a smooth, mellow sweetness. The infused leaves are full and bronze-toned.

The Wuyi macaque on the tin evokes the forested reserve and the relationship between the tea, its makers and the mountain landscape.

From the Wuyi rock-tea area. The dry leaves are thick and tight with a floral scent. The bright, golden-yellow liquor brings layered floral notes and a smooth, mellow texture. The infused leaves soften and unfold.

The South China tiger on the tin is a design metaphor for the steep Wuyi terrain and the tea’s layered character. The floral notes in the cup are part of its own aroma.

From the Bingdao area in Yunnan. The substantial leaf strips show bud tips. The golden liquor is clear and has floral and fruit aromas with a rock-sugar finish. It opens softly and sweetly. The infused leaf is supple and bright, with a clear, intact outline.

The brightly coloured peacock was chosen for the tin as a companion to the tea’s clear, sweet character. This is the 50 g raw Pu’er shown in the product selector above.

From Fuding, Fujian. Plump, straight buds are covered in silvery down. The pale apricot-yellow liquor is clear, with a quiet fragrance and a refreshing sweetness. The brewed buds retain their full shape and even colour.

A white crane and sweeping calligraphic lines decorate the tin. The crane’s light feathers recall the down on the straight, needle-like buds.