Following with our family's tradition dating back to 4 generations, this Charcoal Pit-Fired Oolong Tea Lot 1165 is a true heritage tea. Fired to perfection in our own village from specially selected high quality traditionally higher oxidized oolong, this tea will store very well and is a perfect candidate for ageing. Charcoal Pit-Firing, sometimes referred to as charcoal roasting, was the traditional way to bake or “roast” tea. Today, nearly all firing is done using electric ovens or electric pits for convenience. But the traditional way is to place bamboo sleeves filled with finished tea on top of pits of fired charcoal. It is easy to guess that charcoal will confer a distinctive taste to the tea and the skill of the tea master is fundamental in obtaining a good result. These teas are now very rare, at least the good ones, simply because there are not so many people left on this planet that master this art. The work on this tea started last April 2022 when we commissioned a high-mountain oolong to be made at a higher oxidized level. This special lot was then left to mellow until Oct. 2022 when it was then entrusted to a family friend who's family charcoal pits have been firing tea for 2 generations now, with many prize-winning teas under their belt. If you expect a mouthful of smoky dryness, you'll be surprised at how sweet and mellow this tea is! If this is your first-time trying out a Charcoal Pit-Fired Tea, you might be tempted by our lighter fired Organic Jin Xuan, Lot 1111