Our family has a long history of baking, pit-firing and torrefying tea that spans 3 generations now. And, as you might expect, in 3 generations we did leave a few teas out to stand the test of time. This practice has increased since the late 00's, since the third generation started to have children of their own – aged tea does make a nice inheritance! This particular Lot 916 is a remnant of one of the first lots of organic teas that Yuwen acquired when she came back from her 5 years spent working in her father's tea factory in China. It may surprise many that is a Si Ji Chun varietal tea that was simply laid to rest in the best of conditions to age. This tea stood out when we surveyed our ageing warehouse and seems to prove that organic teas develop into a better balanced tea as they age. This tea was not baked or fired prior, nor during the ageing process. What you will experience in the cup is the pure result of a slow transformation in time. The dried fruit notes with delicate winey complexities and supple, leathery aromas are quite alluring. It is very accessible to the palate and would make a good introductory tea if this is your first step with aged oolongs. This Lot has aged properly and doesn’t present any of the unpleasant sourness found in many badly aged teas but a slight tanginess that suggests that this tea can still continue to improve if allowed to rest a little longer. Just a like a good bottle of wine which is never bad if uncorked early, this is certainly a thé de garde that will continue to improve and mellow with time, making it a perfect choice for home tea ageing projects. It remains perfectly enjoyable to drink right now. We wouldn’t even present it if that was the case, especially that it comes from our family! Available exclusively on Taiwan Tea Crafts in very limited quantity.