Purple Needle black tea

Purple Needle Black Tea from Jing Mai Mountain

You know, I've been sourcing teas for over a decade now, and I still get excited when I come across something truly special. This purple needle black tea from Jing Mai Mountain? It's one of those discoveries that reminds you why you fell in love with tea in the first place.

Let me tell you the story behind this remarkable tea. High up in the mountains of Lancang county, there are these ancient tea trees that do something absolutely fascinating – they produce purple leaves. Not the "wild purple" variety you might have heard of, but something called "Zi Cha," and trust me, the difference is night and day.

What's happening up there is pure natural brilliance. These tea trees, growing at elevations between 1000-2000 meters, get absolutely hammered by UV radiation – we're talking up to 8 times more intense than what trees at lower altitudes experience. So what do they do? They fight back by producing anthocyanins, these incredible purple pigments that act like nature's own sunscreen. It's the tea tree's way of saying "bring it on" to those brutal mountain conditions.

The tea makers harvest these precious purple leaves in late April, when they're at their peak, and then work their magic using traditional flat-needle processing techniques. The result? These gorgeous black tea leaves with tiny golden shoots scattered throughout – they're honestly beautiful enough to frame.

But here's where it gets really exciting – the cup. When you brew this tea, you're hit with this incredible citrus-fruity sweetness that just dances on your tongue. The aroma? Pure poetry – delicate florals mingling with bright grapefruit notes. And the color of the liquor is something to behold: a deep red-orange with these subtle purple hints that catch the light just right. Crystal clear, almost jewel-like.

Now, I have to give you a heads up about brewing this one. Those same anthocyanins that make this tea so special can also add a touch of bitterness if you go too heavy-handed. I've learned through some trial and error (okay, mostly error at first) that a lighter touch really lets those incredible fruit and floral notes shine. Start gentle – you can always brew stronger next time, but you can't rescue an overly bitter cup.

This isn't your everyday supermarket tea, folks. Purple bud tea trees make up only about 1-2% of all tea trees in these ancient gardens, so we're talking about seriously limited quantities here. The Chinese have been prizing purple teas for over a thousand years – Lu Yu himself wrote in the ancient "Tea Classic" that when it comes to tea leaves, "purple is the highest and green the second."

What really gets me about this tea is how it connects you to something bigger. Every sip carries the story of those hardy mountain trees, the skilled hands that shaped these leaves, and centuries of tea tradition. It's the kind of tea that makes you slow down and really pay attention.

If you're looking for something that'll surprise you – something that proves there are still incredible discoveries to be made in the world of tea – this purple needle from Jing Mai Mountain is exactly what you need in your cup.