Sprung from the loamy slopes of Dehong, the western extremity of the Yunnan province, this Snow Phoenix is produced solely from the handpicked unopened buds of the tea plant’s new flush growth. In similar fashion to its cousin, Silver Needle, the extreme discretion in harvesting only the newest sprouts on the plants instills something soft, aromatic and rife with nutrients. In the words of Lohas, the production team behind this, they are a dyed in the wool traditionalist with an eye for quality, rather than quantity, and this tea is produced organically. We first encountered this tea by chance fouryears ago and have been keen to share it ever since.