I. Caused by the growth cycle of Tea trees

The main stages in the life cycle of a tea tree are seedling, juvenile, mature, and senescent periods.

After propagation, tea plants begin to sprout and grow in March. If they survive, they remain in the nursery for one to two years from April to May. During this time, the soil must be kept loose and adequately moist to ensure that the young seedlings receive enough air and water when they germinate. This stage is known as the seedling period.

Following the seedling period, the tea plant enters its juvenile phase, which is when it can be transplanted. After transplanting to the tea garden, from the first cessation of growth until the first flowers and fruits appear, the physiological functions of the tea plant are very active. This typically lasts one to five years and is referred to as the juvenile period. During this time, the yield is relatively low, and the stored intrinsic substances are insufficient. As a result, teas produced during this period tend to have floral aromas and do not withstand Steeping well. They also have low yields, so pickers generally avoid them for the first two to three years. After three to five years, picking begins, and the tea produced is primarily characterized by floral aromas. Yields increase gradually after five years, and if picked at this stage, the resulting tea will have a dominant floral aroma.

After the juvenile period, the tea plant gradually enters its mature phase. The mature period refers to the time from the first production of flowers and fruits to the first natural rejuvenation, which is when the tea tree is between 8 and 40 years old. Tea trees aged 8 to 20 years have the most vigorous physiological functions, making their intrinsic substances richer. Scientific experiments have shown that during this period, the fresh leaves (tea shoots) collected from these tea plants contain high levels of terpenoids, particularly nerolidol, which is crucial for imparting the cassia flavor in tea. Therefore, only the fresh leaves from tea trees aged 8 to 20 years can produce Cinnamon with the most intense cassia aroma. Since the Rougui variety in Wuyi Mountain was promoted in the 1960s and widely cultivated in the 1980s, many tea trees have surpassed the optimal age for producing the best cassia aroma, leading to a gradual decline in the cassia aroma in Cinnamon made from the fresh leaves of these tea gardens.

The fourth stage of a tea tree is the senescent period, which usually occurs after 20 to 30 years. Older tea trees tend to develop an aged scent. Some Cinnamon from tea gardens located in areas with less sunlight, more shade, and higher humidity can even exhibit the mossy aroma characteristic of aged tea trees. Generally, tea trees over 20 to 30 years old will have the scent of aged tea. Although laypeople may find it challenging to distinguish, connoisseurs can easily discern the difference, and tea enthusiasts can learn to identify it with some experience. It is difficult to produce the cassia aroma from fresh leaves of tea trees in the senescent period. Instead, the cassia sensation transforms into a mellow and gentle flavor due to changes in the chemical composition. This is the impact of the entire growth cycle of tea on the cassia sensation presented by Cinnamon Tea.

II. Influences from planting management and fertilization

The market for Wuyi rock tea began to heat up around 2008. The tea garden area in Wuyi Mountain is relatively limited, and the municipal government has strictly prohibited the development of new tea gardens to protect the local ecological environment. Last year alone, the government removed over 10,000 acres of illegally developed tea gardens through reforestation efforts to safeguard the ecological environment of Wuyi Mountain. Therefore, the tea gardens owned by local residents are limited in size, leading to limited production. With the booming sales market for rock tea, some tea farmers have become profit-driven and started using excessive fertilization to boost production during the planting and management process. Such long-term over-fertilization inevitably affects the soil quality and ecology of the tea garden, impacting the growth of tea leaves and causing changes in their intrinsic substances, which naturally affect the taste of the finished tea. Fresh leaves grown under such conditions of long-term over-fertilization are not only unable to produce the cassia aroma specific to Cinnamon but are also not resistant to roasting, easily losing their flavor during processing. Additionally, teas made from such fresh leaves do not withstand steeping well.

Fortunately, in recent years, most tea farmers have recognized the harm caused by excessive fertilization. Although production increased, the decline in tea quality led to lower prices, prompting many farmers to understand that refraining from over-fertilization and focusing on good management to maintain the ecological balance of the tea garden and improve tea quality can still yield excellent returns. In recent years, tea farmers have gradually returned to ecological planting and management practices. I believe that after a few more years, once the ecological balance of these over-fertilized tea gardens is restored, the majority of teas from Wuyi Mountain will return to their original state, and Cinnamon with a genuine cassia aroma will become more prevalent.

III. Transformation of tea aroma due to the maturation and development of manufacturing techniques

The manufacturing techniques of rock tea can directly influence whether the cassia aroma appears. Firstly, during the initial processing stage where the fresh leaves are drained of water, if the water is removed too thoroughly, the bitterness and astringency will be eliminated more completely. In this case, the resulting tea will predominantly feature floral aromas, sweet liquor, and no bitterness or astringency, with little to no cassia aroma. The tea's qi (energy) will also be weaker, and its resistance to steeping will be reduced, with the aroma and flavor diminishing after four or five infusions. Secondly, if the tea leaves are kneaded excessively during the kneading process, causing the tea juice to be squeezed out, creating a lacquered appearance, and the intrinsic substances are overworked, it becomes difficult to produce a tea with a cassia aroma.

In recent years, there has been significant progress in tea-making techniques in Wuyi Mountain, with innovations in stability and accumulated experience. Particularly, the emergence of younger tea masters who enjoy research and are willing to innovate has led to a flourishing of diverse processing methods, reaching a peak. These improvements and advancements have enriched the flavors of different rock tea varieties, providing a more diverse and multifaceted tasting experience, allowing many tea enthusiasts to fully appreciate a variety of exquisite flavors. Many diligent young tea masters born in the 1990s, though not yet famous, have even won local tea competitions for several consecutive years, producing teas that rival those made by veteran master tea makers, sometimes even more favored by the market. Therefore, tea enthusiasts do not necessarily need to purchase teas made by masters; finding the right channels and the right tea makers can lead to obtaining exceptional teas regardless of the maker's reputation.

IV. Influenced by specific terroir environments

We have found that, regardless of how carefully you handle the processing, fresh leaves from certain terroirs cannot produce a Cinnamon with a genuine cassia aroma. This may be related to the overall ecological environment of the terroir. Scientific experiments have shown that under certain specific conditions, the fresh leaves produced by tea plants contain fewer chemicals necessary for the manifestation of the cassia aroma, resulting in a less pronounced cassia aroma in the finished tea. For example, Cinnamon grown in the deep ravines of the Zhengyan region, where there is less sunlight and more fog, and the soil is consistently moist, produces teas that are generally characterized by delicate and lingering flavors, rich intrinsic substances, and good fullness, but with a subtle and not prominently displayed cassia aroma. The tea mainly features a long-lasting aftertaste, lingering aroma, and sweet liquor.

The above four points are the primary reasons why pure cassia aroma Cinnamon is becoming increasingly rare on the market. Have you learned