What defines Dianhong Fengqing large-leaf tea from Yunnan?
Dianhong from Fengqing in Lincang, Yunnan, is built on the Fengqing large-leaf varietal, a sexually propagated arbor tea plant. A spring batch from Lida Ecological Tea Garden at about 1,800 meters, picked April 20, 2021, shows tightly rolled leaves with golden tips, sweet potato and floral aroma, and a bright orange-red liquor.
The varietal carries high levels of tea polyphenols and catechins, which support the smooth, warm entry with a light chocolate note and sweet finish. Yunnan Dianhong Golden Needle Black Tea took a Silver Award in the March 2018 Autumn Hot Leaf Competition's Yunnan group. The Yunnan baoshan coffee region shares similar high-altitude growing conditions.
Yunnan Dianhong is one of the most recognizable representatives in China's black tea landscape, and the Fengqing large-leaf varietal is its core soul. This article takes you into an ecological tea garden at 1,800 meters above sea level in Lida Village, Mengyou Town, Fengqing, Lincang, breaking down everything layer by layer—from spring tea plucking, dry leaf appearance, aroma and liquor color, to taste and mouthfeel. You'll learn about the sexual propagation and arbor characteristics of the Fengqing large-leaf varietal, its rich content of tea polyphenols and catechins, and the award-winning performance of this Golden Needle black tea in international competitions. The article also documents tea farmer Mr. Zhou's over twenty years of dedication to tea-making, along with a Front Street brand recommendation—perfect for black tea enthusiasts and afternoon tea lovers to read carefully.
Produced in Desili Lida Village, Mengyou Town, Fengqing County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province, China, with the tea garden at an altitude of about 1,800 meters.
This batch is spring tea, picked on April 20, 2021.
The dry tea has a tightly rolled strip appearance, covered with golden bud tips.
The aroma is dominated by sweet potato sweetness and floral notes; the liquor is bright, presenting an orange-red color.
The entry is smooth and warm, with a slight chocolate note, and a sweet returning finish.
The tea plant varietal is Fengqing large-leaf.
The tea garden base is Lida Ecological Tea Garden.
As a gongfu tea or afternoon tea with excellent palatability, it is worth serious tasting by Dianhong enthusiasts.
This tea has received international recognition. The Global Tea Championship is independently judged by tea industry professionals, aiming to select high-quality teas from around the world. In the March 2018 Autumn Hot Leaf Competition, Yunnan Dianhong Golden Needle Black Tea won the Silver Award. Its rounded, full-bodied liquor and balanced, harmonious flavor ultimately won over the judges in the Yunnan group.
Dry leaf evaluation: slender and tight, clean and uniform. Liquor flavor: possesses classic black tea characteristics, rich and complex layers. Liquor mouthfeel: smooth, with good overall structure and excellent balance. Overall performance: dry leaf, aroma, color, taste, and mouthfeel are all comprehensively coordinated. Overall evaluation: notable spice notes, smooth and sweet, very delicious. Rich and sweet, full and plump, with no obvious off-flavors.
Dianhong black tea, also called Yunnan black tea, is one of China's most renowned black tea categories. This Golden Needle Dianhong has dry tea densely covered with orange pekoe, and after brewing, both the aroma and flavor are quite intense.
This tea is hand-picked and hand-made, using the buds and leaves of Yunnan large-leaf tea plants as raw material. After fresh leaves are plucked, they are carefully processed using the traditional "gongfu" method and fully oxidized.
About the Tea Garden
This Yunnan Dianhong comes from Lida Ecological Tea Garden, located southwest of Mengyou Town, Fengqing, at an altitude of about 1,800 meters.
The local soil is fertile, with high vegetation coverage; there are no pollution sources within a hundred-plus kilometers in any direction. This ecological environment is precisely the foundation upon which Dianhong black tea has become famous worldwide.
Lida Tea Garden
The garden retains ancient tea trees aged 300 to 400 years.
The tea trees in Lida Ecological Tea Garden are between 300 and 400 years old.
Tea Farmer
Mr. Zhou is a native Yunnan farmer who has devoted himself to the tea business for over twenty years. After a brief conversation with him, one can feel his passion and dedication to traditional tea-making craft; he values tea quality, and his experience comes largely from years of accumulation in the tea mountains. Mr. Zhou is happy to present the natural authentic flavor of tea and share it with tea friends around the world. In his view, Fengqing is the best environment for growing perfect tea.
Origin
This Dianhong black tea comes from Fengqing, south of the western Yunnan longitudinal valley. Fengqing is located in northwestern Lincang and, along with Xishuangbanna, Pu'er, and Baoshan, is known as one of the four famous Pu'er production areas—and is also one of the world's birthplaces of tea. It is also hailed as the hometown of Yunnan black tea. Fengqing has a long history of growing, making, and drinking tea, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with beautiful scenery.
Tea Plant Varietal
This Dianhong black tea is made from the Fengqing large-leaf sub-variety of Yunnan large-leaf. This varietal reproduces sexually and takes an arbor form, capable of growing over six meters tall. In 1984, the Fengqing large-leaf varietal was recognized by the Chinese government as a national-level varietal.
It is rich in tea polyphenols (30.2%) and catechins (13.4%), with an amino acid content of 2.9% and caffeine at 3.2%.
History
From the perspective of natural environment, Yunnan's Fengqing is one of the most ideal places for growing tea, and Dianhong black tea was first created here in the 1930s. The first batch of black tea was well-received as soon as it came out and was quickly exported through Hong Kong to the UK and other Western countries. Today, Dianhong is one of China's most respected and well-known black tea types. It enjoys an extremely high reputation in China and is often given by the government as a gift to visiting dignitaries.
Front Street brand recommendation: Front Street's Dianhong Golden Needle series uses Fengqing large-leaf spring tea as its raw material, continuing the traditional gongfu craftsmanship—suitable as a daily staple or afternoon tea.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
