Cai Lao Tianjian 2016

TianJian is actually a grade of picking. In order of picking standards starting from the highest: Tianjin (Heavenly tips - bud and one leaf), GongJian (Tribute tips), ShengJian (Raw tips). These are all lightly compressed in a woven bamboo “basket.” These baskets hold everything from 500g to 20kg.

Cai Lao Tea Society ordered and oversaw a special Tianjian. One production step that has changed in today's Tianjian is the Qixing Stove (七星灶), a large brick kiln-like oven used to dry and smoke tea with pine. Technology has stepped in; now electric ovens and sometimes charcoal are used to dry the tea before piling. While time-saving and ecological, this approach has caused Tianjian to lose its slight pine smoke scent.

This Tianjian was made from high mountain and organic bushes; this excellent material certainly shows. With quality leaves and time-consuming sorting, this Tianjian exemplifies traditional production.

Although there are pine-smoke elements to the fragrance, there is much more. Most Anhua Heicha are earthy, this Tianjian is lighter with floral notes. As the tea steeps, a scent of truffle becomes more and more evident.

You will find this tea very slippery inside your mouth, but the taste coats the tongue and lingers a long time. And warmth starts to develop in the back of your throat and down the spine. With a strong flavor of truffles, it mellows out and changes to more floral notes as it steeps.

This Tianjian is quite the dessert tea. Anhua Heicha has much lower caffeine than most other teas, making this the perfect after-dinner treat.