Just providing an update since so many people have been asking: we didn’t purchase any Dayuling, Biluxi, or HuaGung spring teas this year. We only managed to secure the May 29th harvests from Hehuanshan Meifeng and Cuiluan North Line. 😅😅
To avoid any misunderstandings, I want to clarify upfront that the spring teas from those regions weren’t bad at all. In fact, some exceptional lots came out between May 27th and 30th. However, many of these teas were bought out by competitors even before they were picked. When the store manager went to taste the teas on-site, before even getting a sip, the owners would say, “Sorry, Day X’s tea is sold out,” or “Tomorrow’s harvest is already spoken for.” Only average-quality post-rain tea was left in stock. After running into this at several factories, we decided to pass. 😁😁
It’s a bit of a shame we missed out, but the Suspension Bridge Head Cuiluan we got earlier is even better quality, so we don’t have any regrets. The store manager headed down the mountain on June 1st after tasting the May 30th harvest. Heavy rains started in Lishan on the evening of the 30th and lasted for several days, so we didn’t pay much attention to the Dayuling, HuaGung, or Biluxi teas harvested afterward.
Aside: This year feels a bit like 2021. The drought severely impacted tea yields at low and medium elevations, and with a shortage down in the lowlands, everyone rushed up to the mountains. This led to fierce competition for high-mountain tea. This year in Lishan, even rainy-day lower-grade tea sold out super fast, leaving the tea factory owners laughing all the way to the bank. 😁😁