Zuo Ruyu Wild Purple Bud 2012 - 18g

Zuo Ruyu Wild Purple Bud 2012 - 18g

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Now I am finally getting to the category of wild teas from Taiwan.

These teas come from the native Taiwanese variety Camellia formosensis. It is a large-leaved species, very similar in leaf to Assamica. The difference is that the terminal buds of this species are smooth and without pubescence. These tea trees are mainly distributed in mountainous areas. 

 The varieties in each region differ slightly in leaf appearance and taste. Naturally, they are harvested by hand and are only harvested once a year, with very limited production. These wild teas have excellent ripening potential.

The indigenous people have produced tea from wild tea plants before, but it was not of good quality. In 2009, Typhoon Morakot devastated the area and destroyed all the industries that employed the local people. At that time Zuo Ruyu was conducting research on wild tea trees and decided to lease land with wild tea trees, it is not possible to buy this land. She started working with the locals who harvest the leaves from the old trees and Zuo then arranged for processing and production based on her vast experience, then it is possible to make a truly unique tea.

In these areas, the topsoil is very fertile and the temperature difference between day and night is great. Native tea trees grow near old cypress, fir, pine and other local wild species. The roots of the trees intertwine, competing with each other for nutrients. The tea leaves from these trees are then full of vitality, unicate aroma and of course are pure, growing wild and free without human care.

Wild Purple Bud comes from Arbor tea trees, which are old, large, mature trees that grow in Wutai forests and are not artificially planted. For this tea, only the leaves with purple buds, leaves and stems are collected by local natives. This is truly a rare tea with the unmistakable aroma of wild tea from Taiwan and truly the top of the future wild tea tree offerings.

The aroma of the dry leaf is let's say wildly sweet, combining Taiwan's mountain forest, herbs.

Similarly, it makes its way into the taste of the tea, which is very hard to define. The first infusion has a light, golden colour and a taste of lush forest herbs, forest honey, perhaps the freshness of some wild citrus in the background. The next infusions go up to a very dark colour and gradually change slightly in flavour character, which is full of wild woods, herbs, sweetness. The surrounding forest, the aforementioned trees such as cypress, fir, pine and other, local exotic trees really come through beautifully in the flavours. A hard to define experience.

It's completely different from what you expect from the TW teas you know. However, it's still playful, mysterious and really wild. Sort of halfway to Gushu sheng, but with a very interesting spectrum of flavors. It lasts really many infusions, maybe 8-10, but if you leave the last infusion for 10 minutes, you still get a beautiful dark infusion full of flavour, almost like shu puerh in colour.

It's not a tea for beginners, it's a tea for people who have imbibed different flavours and are not just looking for pleasing fruity and floral notes, but a deeper experience. Plus, it's a very limited tea, so I'll be happy if it doesn't go to waste.

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Brewing for 150 ml:
- 6g of tea, water 95-100C, first pour 25-30s, subsequent pours 15-25s, depending on personal preference, will last 8-10 pours. 
I recommend a really small volume, maximum 150ml.

The 18g pack is for 3 full tea sessions.