Tea: Hubei Oolong (湖北乌龙茶) Production Area: Bajiao Township & Shennongjia, Hubei Province Harvest Date: Fall 2024 Cultivar: Taizicha Heirloom Producer: Xiao Jun (Initial Processing); Huiwei (Re-roasting). Tasting Notes: Oak, Pine Sap, Bran. We have re-roasted and blended the two variants of the Hubei Maocha tea that were offered last year. This time, we sent the tea down to Chaozhou for professional help from our friends at Huiwei. This is no longer Maocha. This is a fully rested, roasted, and blended Oolong tea. Using wild bushes in western Hubei Province's Enshi Prefecture and Shennongjia Forest Zone, Xiao Jun(肖俊), a young Enshi tea master, sought to make a local version of Dancong-style Oolong. He initially produced two experimental batches, both of which were picked in Fall 2024 and roasted in Winter 2025. We waited more than a year to have the Dancong experts down in Chaozhou re-roast these teas, bringing out a strength in aroma and flavor that was not initially there in either batch. Now blended as one tea, Xiao Jun's experimental product at last offers up a brew that is distinctively Oolong, even Dancong in character. Although the leaf size and shape is unchanged, this final product is richer in taste and darker in color. More than an experiment, it is now a very enjoyable, one-of-a-kind tea that can be included in a gongfu tasting roster or consumed zero fuss in a thermos or mug of your choosing.