Little Bee - Top-shelf Osmanthus Black tea from TongMu

TEA: Top-shelf Osmanthus Black tea from TongMu 

Year: 2025 Spring & Autumn 

Net：60g

Note:

This is actually an osmanthus black tea, but it differs significantly from the osmanthus black tea we previously sold.
The quality of osmanthus black tea largely depends on the base tea. For this one, we use Small Red Sweet (Xiao Chi Gan) from Tongmu Village—the birthplace of black tea in the world. Tongmu Village is an ecological reserve and the highest altitude area within the Wuyi Mountain black tea region, which gives the tea a more complex flavor profile. Additionally, Small Red Sweet is unique even among Tongmu teas. It is made from local "vegetable tea" (Caicha) and is harvested right after the buds are picked, resulting in exceptional tenderness and sweetness.

This upgraded version of osmanthus black tea was crafted with my wife’s involvement this year. She woke up before 6 a.m. to pick the osmanthus blossoms. Since the flowers are small, collecting them was time-consuming. After washing and drying the blossoms, they were evenly mixed with the black tea and left for nearly two days. During this process, the tea fully absorbs the fragrance of the osmanthus. However, fresh osmanthus contains nectar and moisture, which makes the tea damp. Therefore, we used a very traditional charcoal roasting method to dry it thoroughly. The entire process may sound simple, but she said they worked tirelessly for four full days. After roasting, the tea carries a subtle "roasted" note, which we describe as a "fire aroma." After about 20 days of "resting period," the flavor has stabilized and become more balanced.