Long Juan Qi Lan

Information

Origine: Fu Jian province
Harvesting area: Long Juan Village
Plantation altitude: ~800 above sea level
Harvesting: Spring 2022
Tea varietal: Qi Lan

Qilan originates from Xiping, Anxi. Over time, it branched into numerous subtypes — Jinmian Qilan, Man Qilan, Xiaoye Qilan, Zhuye Qilan, and others. Distinct in character yet historically overshadowed, Qilan never held the spotlight in Anxi. That space belonged to Tieguanyin, whose thunderous acclaim left little room for other voices.

Qilan is part of this quieter cohort — not nameless, but long unspoken for. While it remained muted in its native hills, it found second life elsewhere. Southward in Pinghe and Zhangzhou, it reinvented itself as Baiya Qilan. Northward, it took on the guise of rock tea in Wuyi, regaining favor through a new terroir and temperament.

This particular Qilan comes from original Man Qilan stock — old bushes planted by my partner’s grandfather’s generation in our Longjuan tea garden. Their planting years have faded from record, but one thing is certain: they rooted here long before Tieguanyin rose to fame. As Tieguanyin ascended, these Qilan bushes quietly receded into the margins — unpruned, untended, left to live in near-wildness. Season by season, they grew, shed, and renewed — undisturbed. Until now.

Man Qilan belongs to the small, rounded leaf type. The dried leaves are fine, tightly rolled, dark in tone, with some edges tinged in reddish brown. On the nose, they open with a full, stable caramel aroma — a sign of careful roasting. This is followed by the nutty warmth of slow-toasted plant proteins — rich, fragrant, coaxed into sweetness.

Lift the lid, and the scent unfolds in layers:

1. First, the woody-grassy tones of old bushes — grounded, carrying a trace of wildness.

2. Second, Qilan’s signature orchid. Once bold and extroverted, it now speaks more softly. Under deeper fermentation and a medium roast, the floral note is no longer showy — it has been humbled into quiet elegance.

3. Third, a subtle red date sweetness, distinct to Man Qilan. That it survives such intensive shaking, oxidation, and slow baking is a testament to the tea maker’s command of rhythm and fire.