{"title":"Red Tea","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRed tea, termed black tea in the west, is characterized by fully oxidized tea leaves that yield deep honey and fruit notes when brewed. The exceptional red teas in our collection add complexity, texture and finish to these flavor notes.\u003c\/span\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"buddha-hand","title":"Buddha's Hand Redux","description":"\u003cp class=\"tea-summary\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Buddha's Hand cultivar is named for its uncharacteristically large leaves. Fully developed, they can span the width and length of a person's hand. Its name also alludes to the similarity in scent of its leaves to the zest of the fingered citron.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea traces its origins to Fujian Province's Yong Chun county. It arrived in Taiwan with immigrants who planted the cultivar in the tea region north of present day Taipei. The popularity of other cultivars soon eclipsed Buddha's Hand, and it is now quite rare in Taiwan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuddha’s Hand Redux is uniquely crafted. In Fujian, Buddha's Hand is traditionally crafted as a lightly oxidized rolled oolong, similar to a green Anxi Tieguanyin. In Taiwan, we've come across both rolled and twisted versions of this tea - the few we've seen have also been lightly oxidized.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn contrast, the oxidation level of the Buddha's Hand Redux exceeds 60%, achieved with an extended period of cool temperature withering that produces dark, auburn leaves. This longer withering period produces distinct honey and fruit notes in the tea. Once set as a maocha by the producer, an experienced roaster adds over a week of low temperature convection roasting. This second step produced the tea's chocolate, dark sugar, and malt notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuddha’s Hand Redux represents the perfect confluence of leaf cultivar, provenance, and skilled craftsmanship. The result is a tea that is texturally rich, sweet, and complex.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-detail\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"30g pouch","offer_id":12303457255512,"sku":"r-0026-30g","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"60g pouch","offer_id":12303457288280,"sku":"r-0026-60g","price":62.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"120g pouch","offer_id":12303457321048,"sku":"r-0026-120g","price":124.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"240g pouch","offer_id":12303457353816,"sku":"r-0026-240g","price":248.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Kraft canister \/ 60g","offer_id":12303457386584,"sku":"r-0026-gc-60g","price":66.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Single brew \/ 6g","offer_id":43175506149589,"sku":"r-0026-single-6g","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/products\/buddhashand2.jpg?v=1621994217"},{"product_id":"wild-tree-yunnan-red-tea","title":"Wild Tree Yunnan Red","description":"\u003cp class=\"tea-summary\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea is both a rechristening and an upgrade to our iconic Old Tree Yunnan Red. The wild in its name refers to the old grove of wild \u003cem\u003ecamellia taliensis\u003c\/em\u003e trees used to craft this tea. We’ve chosen only the smallest leaves, creating a liqueur that is strikingly bright and candy-like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild Tree Yunnan Red was grown in Fengqing County, Yunnan. This region boasts China's most ancient tea trees – some hundreds of years old, with deep root structures that allow for high absorption of nutrients and minerals from the soil. This varietal is known fondly as \u003cem\u003ehong ku\u003c\/em\u003e, or “red pants” by the indigenous people who harvest its leaves. Over the centuries, \u003cem\u003ehong ku\u003c\/em\u003e has adapted to the local ecological environment and, as a result, these trees are resistant to most pests and diseases and require neither watering nor fertilizing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea is a labor of love from a producer with a passion for crafting delicious heritage teas. Wild Tree Yunnan Red is harvested in early April 2024, then shade-withered to bring out its innate clarity and sweetness. With a deft nurturing hand, the leaves are bruised, oxidized, and pan-roasted in small batches. The resultant maocha, or unfinished tea, is wrapped in canvas and baked over charcoal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe received this tea in late summer of 2025, hand have been holding on to it to mellow, sweeten, and increase in complexity. While this tea will deepen with time, our earlier release this year showcases its bright, effervescent character - one that will deepen over time. It brews sweet and fragrant, with liquor the color of Chinese lacquerware. Wild Tree Yunnan Red's flavor profile is decidedly juicy, a remarkable amalgamation of sweet vermouth, hawthorn flakes, and blackberry honey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-detail\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"30g pouch","offer_id":29843850362968,"sku":"r-0018-30g","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"60g pouch","offer_id":29843850395736,"sku":"r-0018-60g","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"120g pouch","offer_id":29843850428504,"sku":"r-0018-120g","price":78.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"240g pouch","offer_id":29843850461272,"sku":"r-0018-240g","price":156.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White Kraft Canister | 60g","offer_id":29843850494040,"sku":"r-0018-gc-60g","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Single brew | 5g","offer_id":43175549042901,"sku":"r-0018-single-5g","price":6.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"30g pouch | 2024 crop","offer_id":53460384153813,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/products\/r-0018-wtyr-1.jpg?v=1569210441"},{"product_id":"shuixian-red-tea","title":"Shuixian Red","description":"\u003cp class=\"product-notes\"\u003eNotes of cherry liqueur, champurrado, and rose de mai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tea-summary\"\u003eRed tea from Taiwan・May 2022・水仙紅・Unsprayed\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShuixian is a relatively rare cultivar in Taiwan, grown in just a handful of gardens across the island. On the steep slopes of Lishan mountain, in a picturesque plot bordered by pine trees with sweeping mountain views, the Chang family has made this varietal their primary focus. The garden’s geography is ideal; high elevation slows the development of the leaves, adding sweetness to the tea, while the root structures, buried deep in the nutrient-rich soil, add depth. This combination of factors produces tea leaves that are rich in anti-oxidant catechins and sugars- the foundational building blocks of flavor, texture, and aroma.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet despite the merits of the location, this is a difficult garden to reach. Solely accessible through a small fire road, these tea trees were, until recently, inaccessible due to a massive landslide. Now cleared, other challenges faced this year’s harvest. Significant labor shortages across Taiwan meant that a full 4 days of harvest and production yielded a scant 140 of finished tea. Peter spent the final two days working alongside the Chang family picking, processing, withering, rolling, bruising, and resting these leaves before purchasing the entire harvest and sending it to a producer for a final charcoal bake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cultivar traditionally crafted as an oolong, we took leaves to full oxidation before firing, making them a true red tea. We’ve been after a Red Shuixian for the Song Collection for some time now, ever since featuring a small run in The Founder’s Collection. It’s a marvelously textured tea, rich and malty, with a nose of cherry liqueur and bouquet of rose de mai. The final charcoal bake lends the leaves their soft, malted notes of champurrado and cocoa powder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 2022 harvest is the counterpoint to our newly released \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/songtea.mom\/products\/aged-shuixian-red-2012\"\u003eAged Shuixian, ca. 2012\u003c\/a\u003e. Hailing from the same garden plot, these leaves are identical in every way, save for a decade of quiet aging. Taste them side by side, then stash some away for further experimentation. These leaves are wonderful now, and across decades to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-summary\"\u003eBrew: 5 grams・150 ml・203° F・1 min\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-detail\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"30g pouch","offer_id":43481082101973,"sku":"r-0020-30g","price":43.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"60g pouch","offer_id":43481082134741,"sku":"r-0020-60g","price":82.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"120g pouch","offer_id":43481082167509,"sku":"r-0020-120g","price":164.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"240g pouch","offer_id":43481082200277,"sku":"r-0020-240g","price":328.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"White Kraft Canister | 60g","offer_id":43481082233045,"sku":"r-0020-gc-60g","price":84.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Single brew | 5g","offer_id":43481082265813,"sku":"r-0020-single-5g","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/products\/r-sxr_1.jpg?v=1660755406"},{"product_id":"taiwanese-red-tea","title":"A Different Eighteen","description":"\u003cp class=\"product-notes\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tea-summary\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEighteen is a hybrid of a native Taiwanese wild cultivar and a large leaf Assamica, creatively named by the Taiwan Tea Research \u0026amp; Extension Station (TRES) for their 18th successfully developed cultivar. The wild Taiwanese lineage gives Eighteen its natural floral qualities, while the richness and intensity of the brew stem from the Assamica strain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Sun Moon Lake scenic area, these leaves are grown and produced by a farmer we met on our 2018 sourcing trip. A Different Eighteen pushes the post-harvest craftsmanship even further. In this iteration, we’ve parsed out the finer leaves from the general harvest, selecting leaves with more aromatic intensity and flavor. They are then charcoal roasted to concentrate and intensify these qualities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of three days, the leaves were slowly roasted over longan wood pits to distill the tea to its most innate form. Here roasting softens the highest and lowest notes of the tea, reducing the background noise and presenting a final product with a crystal clear structure and finish. Brewed, a Different Eighteen’s leaves unfurl in beautiful vermillion, with the sweet, almost menthol-tinged quality of Manuka honey, and notes of black currant, and hibiscus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-summary\"\u003eBrew: 5 grams・150 ml・205° F・1 min\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-detail\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"30g pouch","offer_id":43639688855765,"sku":"r-0021-30g","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"60g pouch","offer_id":43639688888533,"sku":"r-0021-60g","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"120g pouch","offer_id":43639688921301,"sku":"r-0021-120g","price":76.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"240g pouch","offer_id":43639688954069,"sku":"r-0021-240g","price":152.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White Kraft Canister | 60g","offer_id":43639688986837,"sku":"r-0021-gc-60g","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Single brew | 5g","offer_id":43639689019605,"sku":"r-0021-single-5g","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/products\/r-adifferenteighteen_2.jpg?v=1663816084"},{"product_id":"the-roasters-red-tea","title":"The Roaster's Red","description":"\u003cp class=\"product-notes\"\u003eNotes of grenadine, peony, and golden raspberry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tea-summary\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrafting The Roaster’s Red began long before these leaves were ever harvested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe knew early on that we wanted a red tea with a rich aromatic base on which we could layer on a longan charcoal-roasted finish. We were inspired by Red Lily, a spring red tea in our 2020 core collection. Red Lily balanced heady aromatics with sweetness. Crafted from Jin Xuan, a hybrid developed by the Taiwanese Tea Research and Extension Station as a hardy, high-yielding plant, Red Lily was both aromatic and sweet. But what if we could also give it depth and richness with charcoal roasting?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Roaster’s Red, we collaborated with the charcoal roaster to develop a base tea that was optimized for roasting. We delayed harvest by nearly two months to early June, taking advantage of leaf hoppers that bite the leaves, adding sweetness and depth to the base tea. Extended withering and oxidation time also gave the tea a foundation of fall fruit notes: from pomegranates to quince. We imagined the tea’s fruit notes intensifying with charcoal’s deep sweetness. And we weren’t disappointed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLayers of light roasting compound and coax the subtle fruit and floral notes to the top of the nose, and simultaneously round and intensify their flavor. Former notes of pomegranate give way to rich grenadine, softened with hints of golden raspberry and blooming peony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-summary\"\u003eBrew: 5 grams・150 ml・205° F・2 min\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"brew-detail\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"60g pouch","offer_id":44647634272469,"sku":"r-0024-60g","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"120g pouch","offer_id":44647634305237,"sku":"r-0024-120g","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"240g pouch","offer_id":44647634338005,"sku":"r-0024-240g","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White Kraft Canister | 60g","offer_id":44647634370773,"sku":"r-0024-gc-60g","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Single brew | 5g","offer_id":44647634403541,"sku":"r-0024-single-5g","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/files\/r-roasters-red_1.jpg?v=1762882458"},{"product_id":"ruby-variation-2","title":"Ruby, Variation #2","description":"\n\u003cp\u003eThe name derives from the color of this tea’s liquor, and to the high oxidization level that lands this tea somewhere between an oolong and a red. Like its predecessor, Ruby Variation #2, crafted from a variation of the green heart cultivar, is named for the beautiful red hue of the tea’s liqueur. But the similarities end there. A change of garden and a twist on craftsmanship have transformed this tea from something rich and fruity, to something incredibly floral and light. A different tea altogether, yet entirely appealing in its own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrown on Shan Lin Xi, the leaves of this red tea are rolled, and rolled teas are nearly always a visual indication of oolong teas in Taiwan. But Ruby Variation #2 transcends this category of tea, moving past the mid oxidation of an oolong and well into the dark, fully oxidized body of a red tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe qualities of sweetness and inherent floral notes of the leaves after this extended oxidation process are further crystalized by means of a series of low temperature charcoal roasts. Over several sessions, this process begins to caramelize the sugars of the leaves, accentuating the clean, sweet flavors of the tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBrewed, it’s a delightfully bright, high noted tea, balanced in flavors both bold and ephemeral.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"30g pouch","offer_id":51785317384405,"sku":"r-0025-30g","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"60g pouch","offer_id":51785317417173,"sku":"r-0025-60g","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"120g pouch","offer_id":51785317482709,"sku":"r-0025-120g","price":84.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White Kraft Canister | 60g","offer_id":51785317515477,"sku":"r-0025-gc-60g","price":46.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Single brew | 6g","offer_id":51785317548245,"sku":"r-0025-single-5g","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/files\/r-ruby-v2-1_65c91efc-7aad-4736-bb1d-f9426b3a178d.jpg?v=1753917066"}],"url":"https:\/\/songtea.mom\/collections\/red-tea.oembed","provider":"Song Tea \u0026 Ceramics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}