Vermillion Gate

Vermillion Gate is a wonderful red tea from Bamboo Mountain in Taiwan. This simple striped red tea is a wonderful tea to brew leaves in a bowl. It comes from an eco-garden with semi-wild trees, which adds depth and complexity to the tea since the trees are varied. Such complexity is common in Taiwanese red teas, which are often made from such leaves. The tea is withered for around twelve hours, rolled for ninety minutes and then piled before being roasted dry, like most red teas from central Taiwan. It is sweet with a musky complexity, and woody breadth. The energy is Yang and expansive, which is ideal for a wet spring morning—the kind winter is still clinging to. We love it leaves in a bowl, as the striped leaves are gorgeous and the liquor is complex and heart-opening. It offers a balance of grounding and uplifting energy perfect for the morning time. For us, this type of tea represents the foundation of a bowl tea practice—the kind so many of us started our journey with.