Organic Rangsai Mountain Green

When people think of Yunnan tea, they think black tea — Golden Monkey, Yunnan Black, the big-leaf cultivars that produce the region's famous red cup. Pu'er comes from there too. Green tea from Yunnan is a different story: it exists, it can be excellent, and almost none of it makes it out of the province. The co-op on Rangsai Mountain grows both black and green tea from the same ancient large-leaf cultivar, and the green — the Song Zhen style, meaning the pine-needle-shaped leaf — is what we're selling here.

"Song Zhen" translates as "pine needle," which refers to the shape of the rolled leaf after processing. There's no piney character in the cup itself. What you get instead is something that sits unlike most other Chinese greens: the large-leaf Yunnan cultivar gives it a gentle mineral quality and a sweetness that becomes more apparent as the tea cools. "You can taste the mountain," one customer said, and that's not wrong.

Brewing: 180°F water, 2 minutes 30 seconds, 1.5 teaspoons (3g) per 8 oz cup. This tea is forgiving — dian steeped it a full 2 minutes longer than the tin suggested and found it "very light, a silvery taste, forgiving of over steeping." Good for three or four infusions.

Sourcing: Same worker-owned cooperative as our Yunnan Black, Rangsai Mountain, Yunnan Province. USDA Organic. Special Lot — available while supply lasts.

What does Rangsai Mountain Green taste like?

Sweet and soft with notes of honeysuckle, green apple, and chestnut. The sweetness becomes more pronounced as the cup cools. Rachel found it "soft and mellow, a little sweet with a pretty amber color." Darlene called it "smooth and mellow — easy on the palate, not too grassy or green tasting." A tea you can drink all day without it demanding attention.

Is this suitable for everyday drinking or is it more of a special-occasion tea?

Everyday. Renee drinks it "anytime during the day." Darlene said it's the kind of tea she could drink all day. It's a Special Lot with limited availability, so it won't always be on the shelf — but while you have it, there's no reason to save it.

How many re-steeps do I get?

Three or four good ones. The leaves are forgiving. Rachel notes: "the leaves are good for multiple brews." Add about 30 seconds with each subsequent steep.

How much caffeine does this green tea have?

Around 25–30mg per 8 oz cup — standard for Chinese green teas. Enough to be a solid morning or afternoon tea; not enough to interfere with evening plans.

How is this different from the other greens in the LRC collection?

The Yunnan large-leaf cultivar gives it a different character than Jiangxi greens. Less assertive than Green Eyebrow, less springy than Yu Lu, softer than Gunpowder. The sweet mineral quality is distinctly Yunnan. If you're familiar with how Yunnan Black differs from other blacks, this has an analogous quality difference.