Wuyi Rock Tea (Cliff Tea)

The Wuyi Mountain (Wuyishan) is a naturally beautiful area in Northern Fujian province. Despite its somewhat low elevation, the terroir produces astounding teas. Not to mention that the Oolong "rock teas" (Yan Cha) produced here undergo complex processing that takes months to bring a tea from pick to market. That complex processing gives Wuyi Rock teas their distinct minerality and roast that sets them apart from Anxi and Taiwanese Oolongs.

As a rule of thumb, the best Rock teas are from Zheng Yan (translated as "in the mountain" or "full cliff"). Zheng Yan is located within the bounds of the National Nature Reserve. No pesticides supposed to be used within the reserve, and the mountains create a year-round humid microclimate that leads to better quality tea leaves. Although teas from Zheng Yan are typically the most unique, we have also found that many of them are created for an advanced palate. Teas from Ban Yan, the region just outside of Zheng Yan, have a similar quality to Zheng Yan teas but many are better suited for newcommers to the Rock tea world. Technically, the line beween Zheng Yan and Ban Yan is arbitrary, meaning that many teas that we buy from Ban Yan near Zheng Yan benefit from the same terroir and climate.

All of our Wuyishan teas are from Zheng Yan or Ban Yan. While we only provide two Zheng Yan teas for sale on our public facing site, we carry dozens that we share with advanced tea drinkers. Note that unlike many tea shops, we have not found it helpful to advertise the cultivar, such as Rou Gui, as the teas we carry are so distinct because of the additional craftsmanship applied during processing.