This is a heavily roasted Rou Gui from Ma Tou Yan, one of Wuyishan's best-known Zhengyan

shanchang

. The leaf material comes from Rou Gui plants more than 30 years old and was processed with traditional charcoal roasting.

Rou Gui is naturally assertive, but here that cultivar character is combined with a substantial roast and a highly regarded growing location. Early infusions can reveal the presence of the charcoal firing before the underlying tea begins to emerge more clearly.

As the session develops, look beyond the roast. It has strong mineral structure, persistent sweetness, cinnamon-like aromatic character, and pronounced

hou yun

—the lingering sensation that continues into the throat after swallowing. This tea will retain substantial character through more than ten infusions.

This is a tea for exploring an important principle of Yancha: the roast should ultimately reveal the tea, not replace it. Follow the transition from fire and aroma in the early infusions toward texture, mineral structure, sweetness, and persistence later in the session.