Our Yunnan Ya Bao Purple Buds Tea (Red Que Zui), originating from Wuding County in Yunnan Province of China, is processed with purple coloured tea buds picked from a local wild growing Tree varietal of Camellia sinensis var. dehungensis, an ancient varietal native to the high mountain regions of southern Yunnan that is favoured for production of pu-erh teas. (These tea plants have purple coloured tea buds and young leaves, which are the result of unfavourable high altitude growing conditions. The purple colour acts as a natural way of protecting tender leaves from harsh ultraviolet rays.)

This particular batch was hand picked in March each year when the tea bud is still tightly compacted and encased in a protective shell as it awaits spring and then are completely sun dried without any other processing.  As the young buds have undergone minimum processing, you can clearly see the purple tint on the dried tea.The final tea has an unusual appearance of whole small buds resembling red sparrow’s beaks, hence another name for the tea Red Que Zui.

When brewed, this tea produces a light yellow liquor. The complex taste is smooth and very pleasing on the palate, with a sweetness that this tea is famous for. The juicy and mouth watering liquor coats the palate with a long lasting complex sweet taste. There is no astringency but just a hint of bitterness is present. The taste is robust with fruity notes of dry fruits, peaches and grapes.