Dark Matter | Dark Tea

Wondrous and transcendent energy! The body and presence are voluminous without provocation. The smoky character is primordial, unobtrusive, and savory. The potential of applewood pulp in the cup is just enough to pull you in. Our finest Tian Jian style dark tea.

Produced April 20, 2018 and finished on December 8, 2018 by Mr. Zhang Xing in the Yuntai district of Anhua County, Hunan, China. It’s a one bud two leaf pick of the Yuntai Mountain Big Leaf cultivars growing at approximately 1,900 feet.

Once rolling and pile fermentation are complete, the tea is pine fire smoked on a “qixing stove” (seven stars) - a traditional hearth with a wood stove underneath and seven holes leading the smoke up to a large 4x5 meter bamboo net that will contain the tea during the smoking process. The tea is then packed into bamboo baskets for further fermentation over time. The Chinese name for this particular Tian Jian is “Duo Rou” which translates as “fleshy." Appropriate.

Ingredients: dark tea

Suggested Steeping Instructions

Steep 3 grams | 10-12 oz water | 212°F | 2 min. | Re-steep

Traditional Steeping: Use 6 grams of tea and steep with boiling water in a 150ml gaiwan.

• 10 second rinse (discard this steep)
• 1^st steep – 20 seconds
• 2^nd steep – 15 seconds
• 3^rd steep – 25 seconds
• 4^th steep – 45 seconds
• 5th steep - 90 seconds
• 6th steep - 3 minutes

Number of Cups

2 oz makes 19 cups