Li Shan Spring Rain

Li Shan Spring Rain Li Shan · 2,000 meters (6,600 feet)

Grown way up at 6,600 feet, this is high mountain tea in its brightest register. The aroma is succulent — custard apple — and the cup follows through with sweet cooked apple, plus notes of cinnamon and edamame hiding in there for the attentive drinker.

But the real show is the finish: a long, impressive floral vibration. There's a boom of resonance underneath and a ping of a high note on top — the kind of aftertaste that keeps unfolding after the cup is empty, and the reason Li Shan commands the reputation it does. That's what 6,600 feet gets you: slow growth, cool air, and a tea that rings like a bell.