Bei Dou Oolong from Mount Wuyi

What Is Bei Dou Oolong Tea

Bei Dou Oolong Tea, also known as Bei Dou Yi Hao, is a premium variety of Oolong tea originating from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province, China. This tea is a descendant of the famous Da Hong Pao, and it is cherished for its robust flavor and rich aroma. Bei Dou Oolong Tea stands out for its unique blend of floral and fruity notes, making it a favorite among tea connoisseurs seeking a high-quality and distinctive Oolong tea. The name “Bei Dou” translates to “North Star” in English, symbolizing guidance and excellence. This tea was named for its superior quality and its role as a benchmark in the Oolong tea world. The name reflects the tea’s origin from the Wuyi Mountains, where the unique geological and climatic conditions contribute to the tea’s exceptional characteristics. Just as the North Star serves as a guide, Bei Dou Oolong Tea sets a standard for excellence in the realm of Oolong teas.

Bei Dou Oolong Tea has a rich history that dates back to the mid-20th century. It was developed as a cultivar from the revered Da Hong Pao, with the aim of preserving the best qualities of its parent while introducing unique attributes. The tea gained popularity for its distinctive flavor and aroma, which quickly established it as a notable variety within the Wuyi Oolong tea family. Over the decades, Bei Dou Oolong Tea has maintained its reputation as a high-quality tea, appreciated by both casual drinkers and tea aficionados.

The production of Bei Dou Oolong Tea involves a meticulous and traditional process. Fresh tea leaves are hand-picked during the first spring harvest, ensuring the selection of the finest buds and leaves. The leaves are then sun-withered to reduce moisture, followed by gentle rolling to initiate oxidation. This step is crucial in developing the tea’s complex flavor profile. The leaves are carefully roasted, enhancing their aroma and taste. The final product features tightly rolled, sturdy leaves with a glossy appearance, ready to deliver a rich, flavorful brew.

Features of Our Bei Dou Oolong Tea

• Premium Ingredients: Our Bei Dou Oolong Tea is made from the first spring harvest of tender buds and three leaves, ensuring the highest quality and freshness.
• Distinctive Origin: Sourced from the core region of the Wuyi Mountains, this tea benefits from the unique weathering rock of the Wuyi Danxia landform, enriching the tea with a distinct mineral quality.
• Exquisite Appearance: The dry leaves are tightly rolled, robust, and uniformly shaped, boasting a dark green to brownish hue with a glossy, oily sheen.
• Inviting Aroma: The dry leaves exude a rich, complex fragrance with a captivating blend of floral and fruity notes, complemented by a subtle smokiness from the roasting process.
• Complex Flavor: Upon brewing, Bei Dou Oolong Tea delivers a robust, full-bodied taste with a harmonious balance of roasted, floral, and fruity notes. The tea offers a smooth, velvety mouthfeel with a lingering, honeyed aftertaste.
• Superior Quality: Each leaf is carefully selected and processed using traditional methods, including sun-withering, gentle rolling, precise oxidation, and careful roasting, ensuring a tea of exceptional quality.
• Vibrant Liquor: When brewed, the tea produces a bright orange-yellow liquor that is clear and vibrant, indicative of its high quality and meticulous processing.
• Brewed Leaf Quality: The brewed leaves unfurl beautifully, revealing large, intact, and uniformly colored leaves with a slight reddish tint at the edges, a hallmark of partial oxidation.

What Does Bei Dou Oolong Tea Taste Like?

From the moment the Bei dou tea leaves unfurl in hot water, the air fills with a rich, inviting aroma that hints at the delightful flavors to come. Upon the first sip, you’ll be greeted by a robust, full-bodied flavor that is both smooth and complex. The initial taste is often described as slightly roasted with a subtle smokiness, a characteristic of the meticulous roasting process that Bei Dou Oolong undergoes. This smoky undertone is perfectly balanced by a natural sweetness that emerges from the tea leaves, providing a harmonious blend that is both satisfying and intriguing.

As you continue to savor the tea, floral notes begin to reveal themselves, adding a layer of elegance to the overall profile. The floral essence is reminiscent of orchids, imparting a delicate yet pronounced fragrance that lingers pleasantly on the palate. This floral aspect is complemented by a hint of fruitiness, which adds a refreshing and lively touch to the tea’s flavor spectrum. The mouthfeel of Bei Dou Oolong Tea is notably smooth and velvety, with a rich texture that coats the tongue. The tea’s mineral undertones, derived from the unique soil and rock of the Wuyi Mountains, provide a grounding contrast to the more ephemeral floral and fruity notes. These mineral hints add depth and complexity, making each sip a journey of evolving flavors.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Bei Dou Oolong Tea is its lingering aftertaste. After you finish a sip, a sweet, mellow aftertaste remains, inviting you to take another. This enduring finish is often described as having a slight honeyed sweetness, which pairs beautifully with the tea’s initial roasted and floral notes. The balance of these flavors creates a satisfying and memorable tasting experience.

How to Determine the Quality of Bei Dou Oolong Tea?

For customers who never try bei dou oolong tea, here are four tips you can follow to determine whether you have bought good bei dou tea:

• Appearance of the Dry Leaves: High-quality Bei Dou Oolong Tea can be identified by examining the dry leaves. The leaves should be tightly rolled, sturdy, and uniformly shaped. They should have a glossy, dark green to brownish hue, indicative of proper roasting and oxidation. The leaves should be free of stems and broken pieces, showcasing a consistent and meticulous harvesting process. The presence of a slight oily sheen on the surface of the leaves is a good sign, indicating freshness and careful processing. Avoid tea with dull, brittle leaves, as this suggests poor quality and mishandling.
• Aroma of the Dry Leaves: The aroma of the dry leaves is another key indicator of quality. High-grade Bei Dou Oolong Tea should emit a complex, rich fragrance even before brewing. You should detect a blend of floral and fruity notes, complemented by a hint of smokiness from the roasting process. The scent should be strong and captivating, suggesting the tea’s robust flavor profile. A faint or stale aroma can indicate that the tea has lost its freshness or was not properly processed. Trust your nose; a high-quality Bei Dou Oolong should entice you with its aromatic promise.
• Flavor Profile: When brewed, Bei Dou Oolong Tea should deliver a complex and well-balanced flavor. High-quality tea will offer a smooth, full-bodied taste with layers of roasted, floral, and fruity notes. The initial sip should be rich and slightly sweet, followed by a lingering, honeyed aftertaste. The tea should be free of bitterness or astringency, indicating proper processing and oxidation. Pay attention to the mouthfeel; it should be velvety and satisfying, coating the palate with a pleasant, enduring flavor. Inferior tea might taste flat, overly bitter, or lack the depth characteristic of top-grade Oolong.
• Brewed Leaf Quality: Examining the brewed leaves is a crucial step in assessing the quality of Bei Dou Oolong Tea. After brewing, the leaves should unfurl fully, displaying their true size and shape. High-quality leaves will be large, intact, and uniformly colored, with a bright, vibrant appearance. The edges of the leaves may show a slight reddish tint, a hallmark of the tea’s partial oxidation. The texture should be soft and supple, indicating that the leaves were carefully processed and handled. Poor quality leaves might appear small, broken, or discolored, lacking the vibrancy and integrity of superior Oolong tea.

Where to Buy Bei Dou Oolong Tea

Discover the exceptional quality of our Bei Dou Oolong Tea, crafted with meticulous care to deliver an unparalleled tea experience. Here are six reasons why our tea stands out:

1. Pristine Origin: Our Bei Dou Oolong Tea is sourced from the renowned Wuyi Mountains, known for their unique weathering rock and mineral-rich soil. This pristine environment imparts a distinct mineral quality to the tea, enhancing its flavor and aroma. The Wuyi Mountains’ ideal growing conditions, including the perfect balance of sunlight, rainfall, and altitude, ensure that our tea leaves develop their full potential, resulting in a truly exceptional brew.
2. Premium Ingredients: We use only the finest first spring buds and three leaves for our Bei Dou Oolong Tea. These tender, young leaves are carefully selected to ensure maximum freshness and quality. The early spring harvest captures the peak of flavor, with the leaves being rich in natural essence and nutrients. This attention to detail in the selection process guarantees a superior tea that offers a harmonious blend of flavors and a delightful aroma.
3. Traditional Craftsmanship: Our tea is crafted using time-honored traditional methods perfected over generations. The process begins with sun-withering to reduce moisture, followed by gentle rolling to initiate oxidation. This careful handling of the leaves preserves their natural essence while developing complex flavors. The final step involves precise roasting, which imparts a subtle smokiness and enhances the tea’s aromatic profile. This meticulous craftsmanship ensures a high-quality tea with a rich, multi-layered taste.
4. Complex Flavor Profile: Bei Dou Oolong Tea is celebrated for its robust and well-balanced flavor. The initial sip reveals a smooth, full-bodied taste with hints of roasted nuts and a delicate smokiness. As you continue to enjoy the tea, floral notes reminiscent of orchids and a subtle fruity sweetness emerge, creating a delightful complexity. This unique combination of flavors makes our Bei Dou Oolong Tea a truly captivating experience for the palate.
5. Superior Aroma: The aroma of our Bei Dou Oolong Tea is both rich and inviting. The dry leaves exude a captivating fragrance with a blend of floral, fruity, and smoky notes. Upon brewing, the aroma intensifies, filling the air with a delightful scent that enhances the overall tea-drinking experience. This aromatic complexity is a testament to the tea’s high quality and the careful processing it undergoes.
6. Exquisite Appearance: High-quality Bei Dou Oolong Tea is visually appealing with its tightly rolled, glossy leaves that unfurl beautifully when brewed. The vibrant orange-yellow liquor is clear and bright, indicating the tea’s exceptional quality. The brewed leaves reveal their full size and shape, with a bright, vibrant appearance and a slight reddish tint at the edges. This exquisite appearance is a reflection of the meticulous care taken in the cultivation and processing of our tea.