Lychee Gold Dragon Pearl – Black Tea

Brew & Taste

During brewing, the tiny pearls of Lychee Gold Dragon tea slowly begin to unfurl and release its distinct yet inoffensive fruity aroma. It’s reminiscent of fresh lychee – sweet, juicy, and fruity – underlined with subtle florals and intertwined with the amazing notes of high-quality black tea from southeast China. Don’t expect any astringency or grittiness, but rather a sweet, balanced sensation that will entice you to take sip after sip.

Origins

Lychee Gold Dragon Pearl black tea comes from Fuding City in the Fujian Province, one of China's most important tea-growing regions. The local hills rise from the coast to an altitude of around 700-800 meters, so the tea plants that grow there benefit from gentle mist, frequent rainfall, and a mild subtropical climate. It’s the combination of humid air, differences between day and night temperatures, and poorer, well-drained soils that force the local tea plants to grow more slowly. This allows the leaves to concentrate more aromatic substances, tannins, and natural sugars. What is this good for? Well, it gives tea its charming, delicate texture, pure taste, and long, sweet aftertaste.
Fuding, known as the cradle of white teas, has also been strengthening its production of black teas in recent decades, including flavored specialties. Local farmers often use their experience with the very gentle processing of white tea and apply it to black teas as well. They harvest mainly young buds and first leaves. After withering and oxidation, they shape them into pearls, a technique that has a long tradition in southern China. The hand-rolled balls are not only visually appealing, but their tight rolling also protects the inner parts of the leaves from excessive drying. This helps to preserve their freshness and aroma until the moment they’re brewed.
The flavoring of lychee itself follows the ancient Chinese tradition of fruit and flower teas. In the southern provinces, especially around Guangdong and Fujian, lychee black tea has long been a favorite drink of the urban elite and merchants. With Lychee Gold Dragon Pearl black tea, however, the producers don’t try to drown the natural taste of black tea in fruit flavoring, but rather gently layer it onto a high-quality tea base. The pearls are therefore exposed to a delicate fragrant mist of lychee, which the leaves gradually absorb like a sponge. The fruit component doesn’t just lie on the surface, but permeates the entire tea and enhances its natural sweetness. Finally, the pearls are gently dried, often at a low temperature, to preserve their aroma and shape.
Each batch of tea is produced in smaller volumes under the supervision of experienced masters who monitor not only the quality of the leaves and flavoring, but also the consistency of the size and shape of the pearls.