Cloud & Dragon 2024 Qimen An Tea – Year of the Dragon Commemorative Edition

Qimen An Tea is a traditional artisanal tea, carefully packaged in bamboo leaves and baskets. Its leaves are tightly rolled and uniform, with a lustrous dark-brown hue. The aroma is elevated and lingering, with a distinctive betel-nut fragrance, while the liquor is bright orange-yellow. Beyond being an exquisite beverage, An Tea carries notable medicinal value. Unlike most teas prized for their freshness, An Tea is esteemed for its age—the older, the better. Proper aging softens its character, balances its astringency, stimulates salivation, dispels internal heat, and fully brings out its therapeutic qualities. The true charm of An Tea lies in its aging: it matures without mold, it matures without decay, and with time, its flavor grows purer and more refined.

This Cloud & Dragon | 2024 Qimen An Tea – Year of the Dragon Commemorative Edition is crafted from premium high-mountain Qimen tea varieties, hand-picked before the Grain Rain season, selecting tender leaves from one bud with one leaf to one bud with two leaves just beginning to open. It meets the highest “Special Tribute” (特供，Te Gong) standard, surpassing the common “Tribute Tips” (贡尖，Gong Jian) grade in delicacy and balance, with particularly high amino acid content and exceptional quality. Following the ancient An Tea methods, the tea undergoes initial processing and refined crafting, comprising fourteen major procedures and over ten delicate steps, all executed with meticulous care.

The “Cloud & Dragon” is crafted using alternating Twice-Dew and roasting techniques. The Twice-Dew is particularly elaborate, resulting in a tea that is gentle in character and rich in flavor. The tightly rolled leaves are glossy with fine tips, exuding a high floral aroma intertwined with roasting notes. After the Twice-Dew, the tea’s internal heat is more balanced, mild, and harmonious. The liquor is bright orange-yellow, dotted with fine hairs, revealing floral notes unique to its region, with a sweet, mellow, and gentle taste that improves further after one year of storage. The brewed leaves are tender brown-green, sometimes carrying the bamboo leaf packaging, releasing a subtle glutinous fragrance that lingers delightfully.