Qimen Gongfu

Qimen Gongfu black tea is a treasure among China's traditional Gongfu black teas, with a production history of over a hundred years. It is mainly produced in Qimen County, Anhui Province, with small quantities also produced in neighboring counties such as Shitai, Dongzhi, Yi County, and Guichi. The annual output is around 50,000 dan. Qimen Gongfu is renowned for its slender and elegant appearance, color with a "precious luster," and rich aroma, enjoying a high reputation both domestically and internationally.

Qimen Gongfu tea has tightly wound, elegant strips with good tips. Its color is black with a grayish luster, commonly called "precious luster." The intrinsic quality features a rich, high, and long-lasting aroma, akin to honey sweetness yet also containing an orchid fragrance. The liquor is bright red, the taste mellow and thick with a lingering aftertaste. The infused leaves are slightly soft and bright red.

Dianhong Gongfu

Dianhong Gongfu tea, a large-leaf type of Gongfu tea, is mainly produced in Lincang, Baoshan, and other areas of Yunnan. It is a rising star among China's Gongfu black teas, renowned worldwide for its unique qualities: plump, tight, and substantial appearance, prominent golden tips, and strong, rich aroma and taste. Dianhong Gongfu has tightly wound, stout, and bold strips. The dry tea has a dark, glossy color with very noticeable golden tips. Its intrinsic quality includes a bright, luminous liquor, a fresh, rich, and high, long-lasting aroma, and a strong, fresh, and brisk taste with a stimulating character. The infused leaves are evenly red, tender, and bright, possessing a distinctive style within China and being a globally welcomed Gongfu black tea.

The quality of Dianhong Gongfu varies seasonally depending on the plucking period. The prominence of fine hairs (hao) is one of its characteristic qualities. The color of these hairs can be pale yellow, chrysanthemum yellow, or golden yellow. Its intrinsic quality is marked by a rich aroma and strong taste. The aroma is particularly good in tea areas of western Yunnan like Yunxian, Fengqing, and Changning, especially Gongfu tea from some parts of Yunxian, which has a high, long-lasting aroma with floral notes. Gongfu tea from southern Yunnan tea areas has a strong, thick taste with high stimulation, while that from western Yunnan tea areas has a mellow, thick taste with less stimulation but a fresh and brisk aftertaste.

Min Hong Gongfu

Min Hong Gongfu tea refers collectively to the traditional Zhenghe Gongfu, Tanyang Gongfu, and Bailin Gongfu, all specialties of Fujian Province. These three Gongfu teas differ in origin, variety, and quality style, yet each has its own consumer enthusiasts, thriving for a century without decline.

(1) Zhenghe Gongfu

Zhenghe Gongfu is divided into two types by variety: Big Tea and Small Tea. Big Tea is made from Zhenghe Big White tea and is considered the top grade among the three major Min Hong Gongfu teas. Its appearance features tightly wound, stout strips with abundant hairs, and a dark, glossy color. The intrinsic quality includes a deep red liquor, a high, fresh, and sweet aroma, a thick and mellow taste, and stout, reddish infused leaves. Small Tea is made from small-leaf varieties. The strips are fine and tight, with an aroma similar to Qimen black tea but less persistent. The liquor is slightly lighter, the taste mellow and harmonious, and the infused leaves evenly red.

(2) Bailin Gongfu

Bailin Gongfu is produced in the areas of Bailin and Hulin around Mount Taimu in Fuding County. Mount Taimu is located in northeastern Fujian, bordering Zhejiang, with high terrain, overlapping green mountains, and competing rocky ravines. Tea trees are often planted among cliffs and forests. The tea trees have deep roots and lush leaves, with buds and hairs that are snow-white and crystal clear. In the 1850s, tea merchants from Fujian and Guangdong operated and processed Gongfu tea in Fuding, extensively collecting red strip tea from Bailin, Cuijiao, Huanggang, Hulin, and from Pingyang, Taishun in Zhejiang, concentrating processing in Bailin, thus giving birth to Bailin Gongfu.

Bailin Gongfu tea is a small-leaf variety black tea. The locally planted small-leaf population variety has the characteristics of many hairs, early budding, and high yield. Typical Bailin Gongfu has an appearance of long, thin, and curved strips, with hairy tips appearing as granular pompoms. The color is blackish-yellow. The intrinsic quality includes a light, bright liquor, a fresh, pure aroma with a hint of hair fragrance (hao xiang), a clean, fresh, sweet, and harmonious taste, and infused leaves that are bright red with a yellowish tinge.

(3) Tanyang Gongfu

Tanyang Gongfu has a relatively wide distribution, mainly produced in Fu'an, Shouning, Zhouning, Xiapu, and the northern part of Pingnan. Tanyang Gongfu has a slender, even, and neat appearance with white hairs. The color is black and glossy. The intrinsic quality features a fresh, sweet, and harmonious aroma and taste. The liquor is bright and golden yellow. The infused leaves are evenly red and smooth. Among these, Gongfu tea produced in the mountainous areas of Tanyang, Shouning, and Zhouning has a mellow, thick aroma and taste, with relatively stout strips. Gongfu tea produced in the coastal area of Xiapu in the southeast has a bright color and elegant, beautiful strips.