Hua Xiang Rou Gui

Rou Gui means cinnamon, and most Rou Gui earns the name. It's the assertive one, spice forward, usually fired hard, the tea people reach for when they want to be hit. This is the other version. It's a floral selection, picked and roasted to bring out the top of the cultivar instead of the base, and the result is a Rou Gui that arrives politely and then turns out to have just as much behind it.

Dry leaf is dark and glossy with a reddish cast. The liquor is bright orange and completely clear. Osmanthus first, then gardenia, and the cinnamon shows up underneath rather than in front. Sweet, round, and clean, with a returning sweetness that builds over the first few steeps rather than announcing itself. Let the cup sit until it's cool and the flowers get stronger. That trick doesn't work on most rock tea, and it's the fastest way to understand what this one is.