Ban Tian Yao半天腰

Ban Tian Yao is a Yan Cha oolong from Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Brew it at 100°C with 6g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 8 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. A quick rinse is recommended.

Tasting notes

There's a resinous quality to Ban Tian Yao you don't get in other yancha — like the roast bonded to the leaf instead of just sitting on top. First steeps come out thick and a little sticky, honey pulling behind charcoal smoke, and then sandalwood sneaks in around the third infusion. The fruit is nectarine rather than stone — softer, more floral-adjacent. It drinks full-bodied even at a normal 6g/100ml ratio because the leaves are dense and give up their character slowly. Full boiling water, fast early pours — if you let the first two steeps run long the resin turns waxy and the roast pushes to the front. New-crop Ban Tian Yao is often a little raw from firing; buy it and wait six months. Zhengyan examples pay that rent back with a mineral depth that builds steep by steep. Cheaper off-mountain lots smell similar but fall apart around steep four.

Flavor profile

One of the Five Famous Wuyi cultivars. Rich and resinous with a honey-like fragrance that persists across many steeps. The cup is thick-bodied with tangy floral tones, sandalwood, and nectarine sweetness. Deep charcoal roasting adds woody and herbaceous layers without masking the cultivar's natural complexity.

Terroir

Zhengyan; originated on the cliff face of Sanhua Peak in Jiulongke — grows high on rocky ledges, hence the name

Cultivar: Ban Tian Yao (shrub-type, late-maturing; purple-red buds, dense green leaves)

Brewing

Rinse: A quick rinse wakes up the tightly twisted leaves and lets the roast aromatics bloom.

1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
2. Steep 1: 8 seconds
3. Steep 2: 8 seconds
4. Steep 3: 10 seconds
5. Steep 4: 15 seconds
6. Steep 5: 20 seconds
7. Steep 6: 25 seconds
8. Steep 7: 30 seconds
9. Steep 8: 40 seconds

Full boiling water to penetrate the heavy roast. First steeps should be fast — the resinous character builds quickly. The tea evolves dramatically from steep to steep.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• oxidized
• hand-fired
• multiple roasts

Sources

• https://verdanttea.com/dark-roast-medium-ban-tian-yao
• https://white2tea.com/products/bantianyao
• https://teadb.org/wuyi-oolong-compendium/
• https://oldwaystea.com/tea-info/ban-tian-yao
• https://what-cha.com/products/china-fujian-banyan-ban-tian-yao-oolong-tea