Explorer 2

Minnan Yongchun 閩南永春

Yongchun Laocong Shuixian 2021
永春老樅水仙

Yongchun Laocong Foshou 2021
永春老樅佛手

Yongchun Rougui 2021
永春肉桂

Minbei Wuyishan 閩北武夷山

Twin Peaks Laocong Shuixian 2021
雙乳峰老樅水仙

Foguoyan Foshou 2021
佛國岩佛手

Zhutoyan Rougui 2021
豬頭岩肉桂

Limited edition of 30 sets. 15g of each tea, 90g total.

For our second issue of the Explorer, we set one foot outside Wuyishan, not only to present what Yongchun has to offer south of the Min River, but also to lend some additional perspectives on the distinctive characteristics of Wuyi yancha in comparison to Minnan wulong.

Situated between Dehua and the more famous Anxi, Yongchun has a well-established history of tea production, best known in modern decades for its charcoal-roasted shuixian and foshou ('narcissus' and 'bergamot') particularly among Southern Fujian drinkers and the Chinese diaspora across Nanyang.

Popular 20th-century export brands Songhe (Pine Crane) and Hudie (Butterfly) were produced in Yongchun under the Beikong Factory.

In this tasting set, we present Shuixian, Foshou, and Rougui, from both Yongchun and Wuyishan, processed and charcoal-roasted in similar styles. We hope this set will be helpful in comparing the influence of the different terroirs on the resulting teas, as well as discerning some of the cultivar-specific commonalities that can span across the dividing River between Minbei and Minnan.

The Yongchun teas in this set all hail from a well-preserved old garden within a greater watershed that is protected in its entirety. The Yongchun Shuixian and Foshou are some of the oldest available bushes in this region, while the Yongchun Rougui come from relatively young bushes planted within the last 15 years.

The Wuyishan counterparts come from the Zhengyan gardens of Shuangrufeng, Foguoyan, and Zhutouyan.

“橘生淮南則為橘，生於淮北則為枳，葉徒相似，其實味不同。所以然者何？水土異也。” 《晏子春秋 · 雜下之十》

「大学夹道烏龍研習品鑑」呈獻水仙、佛手、肉桂三個知名品種分別在閩北武夷山和閩南永春生長所展現出的不同風味和特點。可賞味、可研習。供君品鑑。

Individual teas may be made available for purchase separately in the future, depending on availability.