Huang Mei Gui黄玫瑰

Huang Mei Gui is a Yan Cha oolong from Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Brew it at 98°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

Yancha usually means rocks, char, and long roasted finishes — Wuyi mineral depth over a muscular body. Huang Mei Gui is the weird cousin. Bred in 2002 from Huang Jin Gui, it carries osmanthus-family genes into the Wuyi cliffs, and the result is the most floral yancha you'll find: lilac and saffron on top, tropical fruit (lychee, mango) through the middle, all grounded by that unmistakable chalky Wuyi mineral texture. What keeps it from drifting into Anxi territory is the Wuyi roasting — four firings with rest periods — which gives the florals a backbone they'd otherwise lack. Brew just off boiling, 98°C, not a full rolling boil; the delicate aromatics don't need the extra punishment. Quick rinse to wake the twisted leaf, then short pours — the schedule is tight because this tea extracts fast. The huigan is the real reward: sweetness creeping up the throat minutes after the cup is empty.

Flavor profile

Intensely floral among yancha — the cultivar's Huang Jin Gui parentage delivers lilac and saffron aromatics, while the Wuyi terroir grounds it with chalky minerality. The body is smooth and thick with no astringency to speak of. Tropical fruit notes (mango, lychee) bolster the florals, and a sweet huigan creeps in on the finish that persists for minutes.

Terroir

Wuyi scenic area; rocky, gravelly soil contributing chalky mineral texture

Cultivar: Huang Mei Gui (cross of Huang Jin Gui and Huang Dan; developed 2002)

Brewing

Rinse: Quick rinse lets the floral aromatics open immediately on the first real steep.

1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
2. Steep 1: 10 seconds
3. Steep 2: 10 seconds
4. Steep 3: 12 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

Slightly off-boiling (98°C) preserves the delicate florals that are this tea's strength. The floral character holds remarkably well across many steeps thanks to the multiple-roast processing.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• oxidized over 24 hours with hand-turning
• roasted 4 times with rest periods

Sources

• https://yunnansourcing.com/products/huang-mei-gui-wu-yi-rock-oolong-tea
• https://verdanttea.com/huang-mei-gui-wuyi-oolong
• https://teadb.org/wuyi-oolong-compendium/
• https://www.teasenz.com/huang-mei-gui