Tracking the taste of "Horse Meat," detailing the tea-growing land.

The scope of Horse Head Rock extends from King Peak in the east, Tianyou Peak in the south, Sanyang Peak in the west, to the Dahongpao scenic area (Jiulongke) in the north. In the late 1970s, due to the high yield per mu of Rougui tea, the government provided subsidies to encourage farmers to plant it, leading many tea farmers to cut down other famous tea bushes and plant Rougui instead. The soil in the Horse Head Rock area contains a high amount of gravel, with a thick yet loose layer that allows for good ventilation and drainage. The steep cliffs and valleys,

open rocky ridges provide moderate summer sunlight and block cold winds in winter. Seepage streams flow at the valley bottom, and the surrounding vegetation is good, forming the unique soil strength essential for authentic Rock Tea. This unique topography creates the pungent cinnamon aroma and醇滑甘润 (mellow, smooth, sweet, and moist)口感 of Horse Head Rock Rougui. Today, "Horse Meat" has become one of the three important representatives of Wuyi Rougui.

Through交流 with local资深 tea masters, we learned: There are too many tea-growing lands in Wuyi Mountain, and few people subdivide specific areas within the same land. However, because Horse Head Rock is vast, it is roughly divided into several small areas, mainly Sanhua Peak, Peach Tree Hollow, Cat Ear Stone, and Cloud Peak.

While they share geographical commonalities, they also have their own characteristics due to differences in location and soil. For example, Peach Tree Hollow behind King Peak is mainly composed of weathered rock, with a relatively shallow soil layer and abundant vegetation; the soil of Cloud Peak is semi-weathered rock, with a deeper soil layer and less vegetation; Heng Hollow is located at the foot of Sanyang Peak,介于 two gullies and two streams, with stream water flowing through, rich in vegetation and species. Most of the Rougui in Heng Hollow was planted in the 1980s, exhibiting a relatively unique old-tree quality; the soil of Sanhua Peak is granular weathered rock, while Cat Ear Stone is a mix of semi-weathered rock and yellow soil.

Apart from the aforementioned geographical factors, the most crucial aspect of tea-making still depends on the location of the tea-growing land. Tea produced in gullies and streams, due to shorter日照时间,充足 moisture in the tea leaves, and rich wax on the叶片, is relatively difficult to process. The aroma develops slowly during shaking, and the water removal must be thorough—in industry terms, "the hand must be heavy." Otherwise, the finished tea can easily be half-raw and half-cooked. Sanhua Peak and Xiaotianyou belong to this type. In contrast, tea from半坡 and rocky ridges, with longer日照时间, less腐殖质, and thinner wax, is easier to process and容易出花果香 (easily develops floral and fruity aromas), such as Peach Tree Hollow, Cloud Peak, and Cat Ear Stone. A good tea master must not only精通 every环节 of tea-making but also possess considerable experience, adopting different工艺手法 according to the characteristics of the tea leaves to produce good tea. If we细分 further,茶树 planted near different types of vegetation like broad-leaved forests, pine forests, camphor forests, bamboo forests, and citrus forests will also exhibit different qualities due to soil affecting the茶树根茎. Generally, bamboo forests affect the aromatic substances of the tea leaves; the roasting火 cannot be too heavy, otherwise, it will lose the clear and平和 quality of the tea soup; broad-leaved forests affect the internal quality of the tea leaves through the roots; the tea leaves can then be roasted文火慢炖 (slowly roasted over gentle fire), resulting in a tea soup rich in internal quality and口感芳香酽郁 (aromatic and strong in taste). ... Source: "Tea Way" magazine

"Horse Meat" Collection

Rougui, as a Wuyi Rock Tea with浓锐香气,醇厚滋味, and明显的品种特征, has always been sought after by广大 tea friends. Horse Head Rock Rougui, known for the saying "aroma is easy to achieve,滋味 is hard to obtain," enjoys high评价 among岩茶爱好者 due to its细微而独到的地域风味. To preserve the taste characteristics of Horse Head Rock Rougui, tea makers可谓煞费苦心. They must perfectly retain its most representative cinnamon aroma while seamlessly integrating this aroma into the tea soup. This requires the maker to细心观察,仔细品尝比较 during water removal and charcoal火烘焙, finding its最佳融合点 and高扬的临界点.

During this走访寻茶, I also acquired several Rougui teas from different locations within the Horse Head Rock area. I invited资深 experts and岩茶发烧友 for a专业审评, hoping to体会 the独特韵况 of "Horse Meat" from more细微 aspects.

Location: "You Huang" Teahouse, Thumb Plaza, Pudong, Shanghai.

1. 2013 Cat Ear Stone

The tea soup color is bright orange-red,香气较浓锐, with明显的山场特征. The口感 is圆润饱满,收敛感舒服. Floral aroma is prominent in the first three brews. After the third brew, a花果香气 emerges,滋味较为醇厚. When the tea soup temperature is between 50-60°C含咽口中, the甜度,粘稠度 are both outstanding. The尾韵 is绵长,回甘持久.

2. 2013 Cloud Peak

The tea soup color is orange-red,近似红琥珀色. The lid香飘散出温和的花果芬芳.入口带有馥郁的果香味 and完美的辛香余味. The茶气 is浓锐,品种特征明显, with岩土气息隐约其间. There is a slight苦沾感 akin to stone powder. The滋味 is醇厚, but the water feels a bit "粗" (coarse),滑爽略差 (smoothness slightly lacking).

3. 2008 Peach Tree Hollow

Orange-red tea soup,香气较浓锐. The土壤的气息 and the木质香 transformed through陈放 are明显. The口感 is柔顺,浓郁有内质感. The回味 resembles枣香,纯正绵长. It is a佳作 of traditional中足火慢炖,具备陈年的实力.

4. 2013 Piled Stone Rougui

The tea soup color is relatively orange-red. The香味 is稍浓 but稳定性稍欠, becoming较为平淡 after three brews. The滋味 is稍厚. It carries a浓郁芳香气息.入口圆润丰满,层次感明显,甜蜜适中. The回味 is very出色.

5. 2013 Sanhua Peak Rougui

The tea soup is清透澄亮, with乳香 and鲜庶的复合香味.入口纤细,清爽,优雅怡人,收敛感强. The回味 is略带甘苦,喉韵绵长.

6. 2008 Heng Hollow Rougui

The tea soup color is orange-red. After隔年陈放, the花果香气 is still较浓锐,地域特征稍显.入口平和,口感圆润,滋味醇厚滑爽. The水中香表现尤为突出.

Overall, these 6 Rougui teas all live up to the美名 of "Horse Meat." Whether in terms of tea soup color, aroma,滋味, or leaf strip appearance, they all很好地诠释了武夷正岩肉桂的品种特征. The pungent cinnamon香 and悠长的花果香 are balanced and layered,刺激性高低适中. The滋味 is醇厚,回甘悠长. The整体给人的感受 is very清爽酽和. Both in滋味 and香气, it体现得淋漓尽致 the阳性品质 of Rougui.