The Legend Of Lao Jun Mei (老君眉老君眉)

According to legend, one day a long time ago, Taishang Laojun (太上老君) (The deified aspect of Laozi in Daosim) traveled to the top of Huixian Rock (会仙岩) on Wujun Mountain (乌君山), Guangze County (光泽县), Fujian Province. He happened to come across a party held here by the Eight Immortals (“Ba Xian” 八仙 a famous group of eight immortals in Daoism), and he was very happy and wanted to join.

Suddenly, he realized that he didn't bring any gifts, so he picked a handful of leaves from the tea tree beside a rock, rubbed them a few times, blew on them magically, and put them into the teacups of the immortals. Immediately, the fragrance of the tea overflowed and was very refreshing. The immortals were very happy, and their mouths were full of fragrance after drinking. 

Because of this legend, and the fact that this tea has a long leaf shape and buds, which resemble the long eyebrows of the mythical Taishang Laojun, it has been given Lao Jun Mei (Old Man’s Eyebrows). In addition, this tea is produced on the top of Wujun Mountain, so the name is therefore called “Lao Jun Mei.” Lao Jun Mei is also known as Xian Cha (仙茶), meaning “tea of the immortals.” 

Variety Introduction

"Lao Jun Mei" originated in Jiu Long Ke (九龙窠) and was produced by the monks of the original Tianxin Yongle Temple (天心永乐禅寺). They cultivated, selected, and managed all aspects of the tea production process.

Lao Jun Mei plants are medium in size with dense branches, and long oval-shaped leaves that are dark green, shiny, and thick. The leaf veins are very prominent. The buds are light yellow and hairy and velvety. 

The Historical Record Of Lao Jun Mei

"Lao Jun Mei" dates back to at least the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912) in China. In Guo Bai Cang’s (郭柏苍) book "Fujian Luyi·Cargo·Tea” (闽产录异·货属·茶), where it says: “老君眉 光泽乌君山前亦产老君眉——原注,” which translates to, “in front of Wujun Mountain in Guang Ze county is the place where Lao Jun Mei is produced.” It then says, 叶长味郁，然多伪 “the leaves are long and tasty, but there are many fakes.”

Lao Jun Mei In "The Dream of the Red Chamber"

Lao Jun Mei is known for its historical reference in the famous novel The Dream of the Red Chamber (“Hong Lou Meng” 紅樓夢), which is a large novel composed by Cao Xueqin in the 18th Century, and is one of China’s so-called “Si Da Mingzhu,” or Four Masterworks of classical literature. The Dream of the Red Chamber, in particular, can be regarded as an encyclopedia of the Chinese humanities. There is even an entire field of academic study devoted to studying this work called “Hongxue,” or in English, “Redology.” The tea culture present in the work is also extremely sophisticated. 

In the forty-first chapter of the book, “Jia Bao-yu Tastes Superior Tea at Green Bower Hermitage and Grannie Liu enjoys the sleeping accommodations at Green Delights” (栊翠庵茶品梅花雪), it is written that Grannie Jia took Grannie Liu on a tour of the Grand View Garden. After two banquets, the group came to the Green Bower “Long Cui” Nunnery (栊翠庵). Miao Yu (妙玉) greeted them and served tea in person. Grannie Jia said, "I don't drink Liu'an tea (六安茶)." Miao Yu smiled and said, "I know, this is Lao Jun Mei."

There is some controversy over what type of Lao Jun Mei Grannie Jia referred to, and is an ongoing debate among scholars. Some argue that she would have been referring to a white tea version of Lao Jun Mei related to Baihao Yinzhen tea (白毫银针), others argue that more recent research points to the fact that it would have been a Lao Jun Mei from the Wuyi Mountains. 

Wuyi Mountain Region

The Wuyi Mountains are located at the junction of Jiangxi and Northwest Fujian provinces in China. The region has a mild climate with an average temperature of 18-18.5°C, a long frost-free period, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. The mountains are shrouded in mist and fog all year round. 

The most famous production area is the Zhengyan Mountain area (正岩茶区) which is located within the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area (武夷山旅游风景区内). Since ancient times, the best tea of Wuyi has been said to come from the Zhengyan region. Particularly, the Zhengyan tea coming from the “Three Pits and Two streams” (三坑两涧) region is said to be the highest quality tea and includes tea from many high-altitude locations. The “Three Pits” are Hui Yuan Keng (慧苑坑), Nui Lan Keng (牛栏坑), Da Keng Kou (大坑口) while the “Two Streams” are Liu Xiang Jian (流香涧), and Wu Yuan Jian (悟源涧). The soil in the Zhengyan area contains a lot of sand and gravel creating soil with high permeability. The soil has high potassium and manganese content and moderate acidity.  Here the daily temperature variation is small and the area is protected from cold winter winds. 

Teas that are produced in the Bi Shi Yan (碧石岩), Ma Tou Yan (马头岩), Shi Zi Kou (狮子口), and Jiu Qu Xi (九曲溪) areas are usually known as Ban Yan Cha (半岩茶), literally meaning “half rock tea.” The tea from the Ban Yan region is lower altitude and not as sought-after as the Zhengyan tea. The soil in the Ban Yan region has low potassium content, high aluminum content, and high acidity. 

Yan Yun 嚴韵

A signature feature of Wuyi Rock Tea is Yan Yun (嚴韵) which is often translated as “rock rhyme” or “mountain rhythm,” but perhaps is best understood as the essence of the tea. Often associated with the tea’s taste, it might be best thought of in a classical Chinese sense as the tea drinker’s experience of the tea as a sort of resonance with the mountains from which it came. Therefore it is more related to terroir than to characteristics resulting from processing or the tea variety itself, although of course one cannot be separated from the joint influence of all of these factors. 

The origin of the term comes from a poem written in the eighteenth century by Emperor Qianlong (乾隆) called “Brewing Tea on a Winter Night” (冬夜烹茶). It is said that the gravely, sandy soil in Wuyi gives the tea a “rock bone flower fragrance” (骨花香岩). The “rock bones” (岩骨) are one of the main characteristics associated with yan yun - a feeling of the rock/mountain “cha qi” (茶氣), or tea energy, deep in your bones. Tea masters recognize the other main characteristics of yan yun as: 

• Xiang (香) “fragrance”: a clean and pure fragrance that is not sharp or too heavy, sometimes reminiscent of orchids. 

• Qing (清) “clear, pure”: the taste is refreshing and smooth, the tea liquor has a bright and clear color.

• Gan (甘) “sweet”: the tea has a mellow sweet taste which is delicious with a sweet aftertaste, it is not overly bitter. 

• Huo (活) “lively”: the tea is vibrant and offers a unique feeling and tea drinking experience. 

Ming Cong vs Pin Zhong

Wuyi tea can be divided into two categories: Ming Cong (名枞) and Pin Zhong (品种). The Ming Cong teas are traditional cultivars that have long histories and usually have some sort of legend or story associated with their name. Popular Ming Cong teas from Wuyi Mountain are Rou Gui (肉桂), Qi Dan (奇丹), Bei Dou (北斗), Shui Xian (水仙), Tie Lou Han (铁罗汉), Shui Jin Gui (水金龟), Ban Tian Yao (半天腰), and Bai Ji Guan (白鸡冠). Ming Cong teas have a strong cha qi (茶氣) or “tea energy,” and more body than Pin Zhong teas. They are usually baked to a medium or high degree. 

Pin Zhong (品种) teas are varieties that were imported from other regions and/or hybridized in the 90s. Popular Pin Zhong teas include Huang Guan Yin (黄观音), Huang Mei Gui (黄玫瑰), Jin Mu Dan (金牡丹), Fo Shou (佛手), and Bai Rui Xiang (白瑞香), to name a few. Pin Zhong teas have various unique aromas and are usually roasted light or medium to preserve the aroma. 

Wuyi Rock Tea Production Process

1. Selective Picking 开面采摘

Wuyi tea is best picked by experienced tea farmers. When picking, it is best to choose “one-tip three-leaf” (一芽三叶) or “one-tip four-leaf” (一芽四叶), rather than picking “one-tip two-leaf” (一芽两叶), because the latter leaves are too tender and easily break which would affect the resulting tea quality. Small-leaf varieties (小叶种) and medium-leaf (中叶种) varieties are the best for picking, whereas large-leaf varieties (大叶种) are considered inferior and generally avoided by tea growers.

2. Sun Fixation 晒青

Tea picking work is usually completed around 11:30 in the morning. After the picking, the tea leaves are transported in bamboo baskets to the tea factory to be withered in the sun (日光萎凋). This means that the tea leaves, after being picked, are usually set out in the sun to oxidize and reduce in water content. After the water partly evaporates using sun withering, the leaves will give off a nice scent. Usually set in the sun around 1 pm, if the sun is strong, the tea only needs to be left out to dry until 6-7 pm. Afterward, they can be spread out on bamboo sieves to cool down for 20- 30 minutes.

3. Laying and Tossing 做青/摇青

This step refers to the alternating processes of laying (or setting) and tossing.

Laying - the tea leaves are first put into a bamboo barrel machine and are heated with either bamboo or fruitwood charcoal to reduce the leaf moisture by about 10% making the leaves softer and the branches/stems less likely to fall off. The heating needs to be adjusted according to the freshness of the tea leaves. Generally, this step is complete after around 8-10 hours. After heating, the lid is open to let it stand so the tea can oxidize and cool down. This needs to be repeated two to three times before starting to toss.

Tossing - after heating and letting it stand to oxidize, the basket lid is closed and the baskets are rotated. Tossing allows the tea leaves to oxidize evenly. In the process of turning, the color of the edge of the tea leaves becomes red, and the color in the middle remains unchanged.

4. Stir Fixation 炒青

Continue to stir fry the leaves to reduce the moisture by another 20%. The temperature is around 176-232°F, and this step continues for about 7-10 minutes.

5. Rolling 揉捻

After stirring the tea leaves are rolled. The rolling gives the tea leaves their unique finished appearance. This process takes about 3-7 minutes.

6. Primary Roasting 初培

After the tea leaves are rolled into strands, they are spread out evenly. This process takes about 5-10 minutes.

7. Screening 筛分

The tea leaves are then screened, and the bad yellow flakes, branches, and stems will be removed, leaving only the good parts.

8. Re-Roasting 复培

The tea leaves are left to sit for about 15 days to remove harshness before they are re-roasted. The subsequent roastings are said to make the yan yun quality of the tea thicker. The various degrees of roasting can be divided into low fire, medium fire, and high fire. Low fire has the lightest flavor, medium fire is moderate, and high fire is the heaviest. Most people choose to drink tea that has been roasted at medium fire.