Buy Heirloom Xi Hu Long Jing (Dragon Well) Green Tea 西湖龍井

Xi Hu Long Jing (Dragon Well) 西湖龍井 loose leaf green tea

$139.00

Shi Feng Shan’s Indigenous Heirloom, First Pluck 2023 green tea is umami-rich, with aromas of sweet cream and lemon zest and notes of chestnut.

Discover what makes Long Jing so prized, compare vintages in the Multi-Vintage Long Jing Tea Tasting Set, or explore why the Xi Hu terroir belongs in this tea’s name in What Tea Am I Drinking?.

This tea is also included in the Tea Sampler: The Ultra Luxe Selection.

Tea Drunk ReserveThe best vintage of each tea.

Long Jing is China’s most famous green tea, and Xi Hu—West Lake in Hang Zhou—is its true historic terroir. Tea Drunk’s comes from Shi Feng Shan, Lion’s Peak, the highest-ranked terroir within Xi Hu. Long Jing is known for its bold, blunt body, chestnut-like nuttiness, floral depth, refined tannins, and long sweet finish.

The Three Pillars · 西湖龍井

Place · terroir

Shi Feng Shan (Lion's Peak), Xi Hu (West Lake), Zhe Jiang Province, China (~240m elevation)

Plant · cultivar

Indigenous Heirloom

Craft · type

Green Tea

In the cup

This vintage

Xi Hu First Pluck 2023

Umami with aromas of sweet cream and lemon zest, and notes of chestnut. A dry year gave this vintage a focused, clean profile with fine, accumulating tannins, cooling sweetness, and a long salivating finish.

Long Jing is known for chestnut-like nuttiness, floral depth, weighty yet refined tannins, and a long, sweet, salivating finish. A well-made Long Jing holds nuttiness and florality together: bold and blunt rather than sharp, with a strong, centered structure.

The making

After picking, the leaves rest in a thin layer under shade. The initial Sha Qing is completed in a machine designed specifically for Long Jing. The later shape making and fining are done by hand: the leaves are pressed flat and rubbed against the wok, removing the tea hair and developing Long Jing’s signature bold nuttiness. The finished tea then goes through Shou Hui, resting with limestone for at least three weeks to draw out the remaining moisture and bring the tea together.

How to brew

Brewing instructions for Xi Hu Long Jing (Dragon Well) 西湖龍井

History & significance

Often regarded as the King Tea of China, Long Jing rose to extraordinary fame during the Qing Dynasty and is traditionally associated with Emperor Qian Long. Within Xi Hu, its terroirs are ranked Shi, Long, Yun, Hu, and Mei—Lion, Dragon, Cloud, Tiger, and Plum—with Shi Feng Shan at the top. This tea is made from indigenous heirloom trees rather than an early-budding clonal cultivar.

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