Called Lào Cai Secret Forest Black in 2024. We are trying to simplify our naming system.
 
A great rendition of this tea and we are very to have it back for 2025!
 
This tea is made from leaves from a couple high mountain areas  around Bát Xát district in the Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range. Producing this tea requires a long hike into the ancient tree gardens at over 2200m in elevation. Picking the leaves to make this tea is also an arduous task as some of the trees here grow over 20m tall!
 
The raw material used to make this tea comes from a Camellia non-Sinensis tea tree varietal that has leaves that can be red/ purple/ dark green in color. It is still currently unknown as to exactly which Camellia varietal it is.
 
This tea brews up into a viscous pale copper colored soup. The flavor is really complex. You'll notice a woody- tree root, sweet-slightly sour tamarind like flavor that starts building in the throat after a few cups. I like brewing this one with a lot of leaves at 90-100 degrees for long steeps.
 
Strong qi and lasting sweet tamarind-like effect in the mouth and throat that lasts well after the session has ended.
 
This year's tea was 100% sun-dried and will continue to improve with age as many sun-dried black teas do.
 
Season: April 2025
Picking Standard: 1 bud-2-3 leaves
Region: Bát Xát, Lào Cai
Elevation: 2200-2500m