2015 Pre-Ching Ming Dragon Well | Ching Ming Long Jing

This 2015 Long Jing was produced in the high mountain organic tea garden in Lin An of Hangzhou. (Lin An is around 60 km west to West Lake, and was the old capital of China in Nan Song Dynasty. Hangzhou was named as Lin An at that time). The tea garden is located at the altitude of 800m. It was planted by the seed growing Jiu Keng Qun Ti Zong cultivar (鸠坑群体种) in 1990s. (By the way, the other tea cultivar Long Jing 43 is bred by cuttage). The garden has been certified organic ever since 2005. The tea is of outstanding quality thanks to high mountains, organic farming and a very rich gene source. The tea was processed by a traditional Long Jing pan frying. It gives roasted bean and orchid like flavor (local Hangzhou people call it 兰花豆香 Lan Hua Dou Xiang). The taste is intensely mellow sweet!

The premium early season first-picking known as Ming Qian or Pre-Qingming (or Before Ching Ming) Longjing tea requires it to be produced from the first spring shoots prior to the Qingming Festival each year. In accordance with the Chinese farming calendar, which is a national holiday between April 1–4, it rains. After the rain the temperature heats up causing the tea plant to grow faster. When the tea bud becomes too big it begins to lose complexity in the brewed flavor, therefore the pre-qingming tea is considered the best. Qing ming Festival 2021 was dated on April, 4th.