Teas / red / Yixing Hong Cha (Yang Xian Red)

Yixing Hong Cha (Yang Xian Red)
🇨🇳 China

Yixing Hong Cha (Yang Xian Red)

Yí Xīng Hóng Chá · 宜兴红茶 (宜興紅茶)

gongfu

Yixing Hong Cha is the red (black) tea of Yixing City in Jiangsu — far better known internationally for its purple-clay teapots than its tea, but with a much older tea pedigree: under the Tang dynasty a Yixing tea called Yang Xian (阳羡) was part of the imperial tribute. The modern Yixing Hong Cha is a gong fu hong made by the standard hand-twisted process, producing dark wiry leaves and an amber liquor with malty notes of sour fruit, tobacco, and cocoa.

Quick facts

Region
Yixing
Harvest year
2025
Harvest season
spring

Brewing

Leaf
4.0 g / 100 ml
Water
90°C
Rinse
no
Gongfu steeps (s)
15, 25, 35, 50, 75
Western (min)
3.5

Rich malt and a touch of tobacco — leaner than Dianhong, fruitier than Keemun. The historical Yang Xian style was a court tribute under the Tang dynasty.

Calculate leaf weight for this tea

Tasting notes

Aroma
malt, dried fruit, light tobacco, cocoa
Flavor
smooth, malty, slightly sour fruit, cocoa
Mouthfeel
smooth, light
Finish
light, drying

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