Pre-rain Dragonwell

Picked a few days after the Qing Ming holiday on April 5th, the date marks the beginning of a two week green tea harvest period that wraps up on April 20th. That end day is important, because it falls on the Guyu Festival, an agricultural holiday held to invite the arrival of spring rains. Teas picked during that period are therefore referred to as “pre-rain” Dragonwells.

The leaf buds were gathered when the leaf buds have barely opened. Immediately after harvest, the fresh leaves are expertly pan-roasted by hand: first lightly tossed, then firmly pressed and folded against the hot surface of the roasting wok. This hand roasting gives the tea its unique blade-like appearance.

To accentuate the sweetness of these early harvest leaves, we requested a longer lower temperature roast on the tea, a process that imparts a natural buttery nuttiness to it, similar to a traditional Shifeng style Dragonwell. The end result is a tea perfect for daily indulgence: a hearty toasted aroma, full bodied flavor, and a finish that clings to the palate.

Brewing Guide

Pre-Rain Dragonwell is harvested late in the spring. It's quite sweet, but will take a bit of finesse to brew properly. We recommend strictly following the recommended steep time.

Rinse this tea for 1 second before steeping. Begin with a 45 second steep and add 10 seconds for each subsequent re-infusion.