Mengding Huangya 蒙顶黄芽 - Yellow Tea

This special yellow tea was long ago introduced as an imperial tribute from Mengding Mountain, located in Ya'an city, Sichuan province, the first tea garden ever created. The tea bushes growing in this area are shrouded throughout the year by cloud and mist, which enhances the freshness of their flavor. It is a famous yet uncommon kind of tea, as yellow tea is the rarest among the 6 tea categories.

It is composed only of the youngest hand-picked buds of cultivar Mengshan 蒙山 n.9, fully covered by soft fluff which accounts for their great freshness. To obtain this rarity, these small gems undergo a process of yellowing (Mènhuáng 闷黄):  after being pan-fried, they are wrapped in sheets of paper, where a warm-humid condition gives the tea buds a slight oxidation, making them acquire the typical yellow-green color, and turns the liquor light-gold, giving it a buttery sweetness. After repeating the processes of pan-frying and yellowing for three times, the buds are finally dried by charcoal-fire.

Origin: Mengdingshan, Ya'an, Sichuan province
Altitude: 1459.3 m asl, High mountain tea garden 高山茶园
Producer: Chengjun Guo 郭成均
Flush: March 12th 2024, Pre-Qingming 明前
Format: 25 gr (0.88 oz), loose leaves
Storage: the leaves can be stored in their original package or in ceramic vases. Avoid heat, light, and moisture.

Infusion Parameters

Eastern Brewing

Quantity: 1 gr. of tea every 30 ml of water
Brewing time: Begin with a 25-second brew. Increase with each successive brew as needed. 
Water temperature: 70-75°C
Number of brews: 4-5

Western Brewing

Quantity: 1 gr. of tea every 100 ml of water
Brewing time: 2-3 minutes
Water temperature: 70-75°C

Cold Brew

Quantity: 1 gr. of tea every 100 ml of water
Brewing: put the tea leaves in room temperature water and steep for 6-7 hours. Filter the liquor and drink within 24 hours.