Spring Creek 2018The best way to describe the feeling one gets when sipping this tea may be 'grounded': its dark flavors and inky brew pull the feet into the earth, righting the body upwards. Harvested from in Menghai County, just on the edge of the Burmese border, its producer focuses on sourcing leaves from old tea trees, and the liquor seems as if something of venerable experience has been imparted: bold without flashiness, a warm waft of baking flour hits the

We only have a very limited quantity of this tea

now being close to that auspicious 20-year mark

Something similar happens with yan cha and the concept of yan yun

The tea comes from over 100-year-old zairai tea plants

when the infusion jets out in a lively arc

Master Chen brewing two of his traditional Tieguanyin during our visit to his factory

tea parties

Pair this vibrant cup with its matching gaiwan

white porcelain will allow comparison of infusion colour

cylindrical design that feels solid and well-balanced in the hand

This handmade bamboo chasen (茶筅) is an essential tool for whisking matcha into a smooth

Completing the transformation