First buds of the harvest, hand crafted to a small lot. Made with buds only, this tea offers pronounced flavors and aromas of the season. As late winter temperatures begin to warm, dormant tea bushes awaken and sprout dense, compact buds, the first new teas. Harvested by hand and limited in quantity, these buds provide the tea maker the opportunity to process a high-grade lot. Black Bud is in this class of tea; a tea to savor in all its natural and crafted complexities. Lot #5.
Tea Notes. Lot is made by a teamaker, Mr. Wen, who farms tea in the mountains near Fuzhou. Wen's small family-run farm produces only a limited quantity of tea using the Meizhan cultivar (origin in the WuYi Mountains). Each year, Wen produces select lots of white, green, and black varieties. Handpicked, painstakingly made, Black Bud well reflects of art of timing the pluck, handling and shaping this unique tea. Note, this lot is now one year old. We find it has developed more nuance over the last 12 months.
Tea Facts. Harvested in the first week of April 2025. Meizhan is the origin cultivar. As its leaf structure is dense, it is slow growing and the leaves are smaller with the result of high aroma and nuanced flavors.
Tasting Notes. In sampling, we use a steep time of 2.5 minutes at 205 F. The idea with a short steep is to find the range of flavors the leaves offer at the front and back of the tasting. As this tea is nuanced, there is an underlying astringency yet it is controlled and serves to accentuate the tea's varied sweet notes. Naturally sweet, coppery, exceptionally clean with a wonderful lingering finish.
Brewing Suggestions. Use 3 grams (one tablespoon of leaf per 6-8 ounces of water. Water temperature can range from 195-205 F. Steep 2-2.5 minutes and taste.
SKU: B-MB-5
