2026 Dongting Bi Luo Chun

This Bi Luo Chun from Dongting Dongshan, made entirely by hand by Mr. Zhu. The dry leaves are tight yet breathing, with a soft, downy feel that carries a clear trace of handwork.

From the cup rises that striking, almost startling fragrance long associated with this tea. The liquor is fine, moving close along the tongue, light, but with structure. The sweetness draws inward, clean, with no trace of bitterness or astringency.

At first there is a layer of delicate floral tone, not tied to any single flower, closer to an orchid-like presence, faint, just holding there. By the second and third infusions, the liquor begins to take shape. There is some weight, but it does not feel heavy, and the lines become clearer. The aroma moves downward, settling in the throat, then holding a little further in. At this point a fruit note begins to show, not singular, leaning toward loquat and soft peach, with a touch of green plum freshness, and along the edges a light lift of citrus peel and pale flowers, moving quietly across the palate.

It asks for a slower pace. Drunk quickly, it is only smoothness and sweetness; slowed down, the layers come out one by one. Its roundness does not come from thickness, but from how closely everything fits together, without edges, without breaks. It spreads softly, slightly diffused, yet never loses its shape. How it was made shows in the liquor, not in how it looks. The heat is held back, not used to push the aroma, not forcing the leaf. The balance between young and more mature leaves is steady, so there is freshness, but it does not float.

After a few infusions, the body begins to loosen. That clear flow moves from the mouth downward, pauses in the chest, then slowly opens out. The sweetness and returning aftertaste remain, clean, without weight, and the mind settles with it. It is a tea you keep drinking without effort. The further it goes, the clearer its structure and sense of measure become..