Wuyi Rock Tea · Shunli (May Things Go Smoothly, Starting Now) · 34g

Wuyi rock tea, packaged as a gift set. The name 马上顺丽 is auspicious wordplay, may things go smoothly, starting now, which is why it exists in this format and why it's worth buying two of.

Origin:

Wuyishan, Fujian. Bushes rooted in weathered volcanic cliff soil, which is where rock tea gets the mineral quality Wuyi people call (岩韵) yan yun, rock rhyme. It's the one thing no other growing region can imitate.

The craft:

Wuyi oolong is semi-oxidised, then roasted over charcoal in bamboo baskets, sometimes across multiple rounds, weeks apart. The roast isn't a flavour added on top; it's the finishing craft that decides what the tea becomes, and a good roaster is worth more than a good garden.

Taste:

Dark amber, thick and clear. Charcoal and caramelised sugar on the nose. In the cup: roasted stone fruit, orchid, dark chocolate, toasted grain, with a cool mineral finish sitting at the back of the throat. Full-bodied, no bitterness. The rock-mineral note arrives after the roast settles, usually around the third infusion, which is why the middle cups are the best ones.

Brewing:

Gongfu, always — 8g per 110ml gaiwan, full rolling boil. Yancha needs a heavy leaf ratio and maximum heat.

Quick rinse to wake the leaf, then flash / 4s / 6s / 8s, extending. 8–10 infusions.

Water temperature is not optional. Anything below a hard boil reads flat and hollow.

Grandpa brewing isn't recommended, under-leafed rock tea tastes like roast and nothing else.

Specs: 34g · Wuyishan, Fujian · Charcoal-roasted oolong · Store sealed, cool, dark. Rock tea keeps for years and rounds out as the roast rests.