武夷山小氣候 2026馬年系列
Living in Xiamen allowed us to mark a personal breakthrough in our approach to curating, storing, and aging Wuyi Yancha. We even began packing the yancha in our own warehouse under strict standards, realizing how crucial this controlled environment is for proper resting. In these two years, we established our own evaluation scale based on local standards using professional terminology, grading every tea through blind tastings, multiple brewing methods and side-by-side comparisons, and repeated evaluations over time. This rigorous process allows us to remain objective, keeping the selection authentic and honest.
The 2026 Horse Year Series includes seven distinct micro-terroirs that delivered the best performance last year, perfectly aligning with our standards for quality and value. Each tea comes in two portions, allowing you to revisit and evaluate it more than once. We packed each tea and stamped every craft bag by hand. Yancha at such high grades must be treated with extra care in storage and transportation, and this is exactly how this handcrafted box was made.
The complete selection includes:
Finding Zhengyan-labeled yancha for sale is easy, as the market is full of opportunists. However, gaining access to the valuable, clean material we call "reference tea" was only possible through Guanxi (networking) with true masters and landowners who have become our mentors over the years. These discoveries truly justify their carefully monitored price tags and can only be sourced locally, as most teas in this selection were crafted from strictly reserved raw materials. We invite you to read the full fieldwork report we completed this year to explore our journey in depth.
Every purchase includes a 90-minute live virtual guided tasting with us. During the session, we evaluate the teas together in alignment with China’s national grading standards. We also share behind-the-scenes sourcing decisions and industry stories.
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After nearly a decade working with Yancha, we declared 2025 our “year of Yancha.” We returned to Wuyi Shan five times: revisiting tea plantations under different weather conditions, learning how each ecosystem functions across micro-terroirs, collaborating with tea makers in different baking rooms and observing resting cycles, conducting hundreds of blind tasting sessions day after day to improve our tasting skills.
Every famous area in Zhengyan is defined by its natural micro-terroir. These are uneven landscapes shaped by cliffs, valleys, shade, and water flow. Different angles of sun exposure create different aromatic directions and different layers within the leaf. They appear directly in the cup through density, layering across infusions, and internal substance.
Both of the Lao Cong Shui Xian in this year’s selection come from outside the Zhengyan core area: Wu San Di 吳三地 and Tongmu Guan 桐木關. They were included because their growing environments produce a natural Cong Wei expression and structural depth comparable to Zhengyan pricing. In some cases, these environments are even more suitable for ancient trees than parts of the core area itself.
If you are ready to take a serious step forward in understanding Yancha, our Yancha course will guide you through a comprehensive and structured study of Yan Yun. The program starts on May 31, 2026 (5pm China time), designed specifically for US and EU time zones. Enrollment includes the complete 2026 Horse Year Yancha box at no additional cost. The selection was curated to match the course framework precisely, allowing you to evaluate each micro-terroir and baking level alongside us in real time. Check here for more details of the course.
Designed for serious tea drinkers who wish to move beyond descriptive tasting, and develop a structured framework for evaluating Wuyi Yancha, using the terminology and evaluation logic practiced in Fujian. The complete series Yancha box is included in the tuition fee.
What is the 2026 Horse Year Yancha box?
The 2026 Horse Year Yancha box is our curated selection of seven high-end Wuyi rock wulong teas from distinct micro-terroirs in Wuyi Shan. Each box contains two 7g portions of each tea, allowing you to evaluate them multiple times. We selected these specific teas for their outstanding performance during our blind tasting evaluations.
How did you select the teas for this box?
Building on almost a decade of researching Wuyi yancha, and over the past two years living in Fujian, we conducted hundreds of blind tasting sessions to select these wulong teas. We established an evaluation scale based on local Fujian standards. We only selected authentic reference teas sourced directly through our network of true masters and landowners, ensuring the highest level of objectivity.
Why are some Lao Cong Shui Xian teas in this box not from the Zhengyan core area?
We included two Lao Cong Shui Xian wulong teas from outside the core area because their natural growing environments produce an authentic Cong Wei expression and structural depth. These specific locations are considered by experienced drinkers even higher quality cong wei and overall profile than zhengyan.
How are the teas stored and packed?
We store and pack all of our Wuyi yancha in our proprietary hyt warehouse in Xiamen under strict climate-controlled standards. A highly controlled environment is crucial for the tea's proper resting phase, allowing the fire from the baking process to integrate perfectly and reveal a stable character. Each bag is packed and stamped by hand using food-safe, environmentally friendly ink, reflecting the artisanal craftsmanship of our custom tea boxes.
Is a guided tasting included with the purchase?
Yes. Every purchase of the 2026 Horse Year Series includes a 90 minute live virtual guided tasting with us. We will evaluate the wulong teas together using China national grading standards and share behind the scenes sourcing stories.
Can I buy this box as part of the Yancha Course?
Yes. If you enroll in our comprehensive Wuyi Yancha course starting May 3, 2026, the complete 2026 Horse Year Yancha box is included at no additional cost. The box serves as your reference material to evaluate each micro-terroir alongside us during the classes.
What makes a micro-terroir so important for Wuyi yancha?
Every famous area in Zhengyan is defined by its natural micro-terroir, shaped by cliffs, valleys, shade, and water flow. Different sun exposure angles create different aromatic directions and layers within the leaf, directly affecting the density and internal substance you taste in the cup.
Why is finding genuine Zhengyan yancha difficult?
While Zhengyan labeled tea is common, gaining access to truly valuable reference tea requires deep networking with local masters. All teas in our selection are directly from the local farmers and tea makers.
What specific teas are in the 2026 collection?
The box includes 2025 Tongmu Guan Lao Cong Shui Xian, 2025 Wu San Di Lao Cong Shui Xian, 2025 Lian Hua Feng Rou Gui, 2025 Hui Yuan Keng Lao Cong Shui Xian, 2025 Fu Guo Yan Rou Gui, 2022 Xiao Zu Lin Bai Rui Xiang, and 2022 Shui Lian Dong Rou Gui.
