DHP - 大红袍

One of the most famous of Chinese teas, Da Hong Pao was originally picked from 4 legendary tea trees behind a monastery in Fujian, and the leaves, after carefully oxidizing and roasting, were reserved for the imperial family.  Teas like this are of course no longer harvested from the famous original trees, but retain the characteristics and processing techniques.

This particular version was pressed into blocks for aging, a process usually reserved for dark tea and pu-erh.  For easy brewing, break off a single square, like a chocolate bar.  Each square can be brewed many times, with increasing flavor as the leaves separate and swell.  Enjoy strong caramel in the early brews, before the smokey roast yields to more fruity notes.