Many teas of intrigue are a delightful paradox, and in Shi Ru 石乳 Stone Milk we are granted a simultaneous blend of warming energetics as well as refreshingly cooling minerality.  Deep, tropical aromatics with a mouthfeel creamy, sweet, mineral-rich, verging on the taste of coins; a balanced profile of medium roast entremets, with a salivating and savory after breath.

As a lesser known Wuyi varietal, one would think its history in the Wuyi Mountains would be relatively young like most of the other 小种 xiao zhong “small varietals”, yet the name Shi Ru actually predates Da Hong Pao, as records indicate a Stone Milk became a tribute tea in the Song Dynasty; a royal decree in the year 995 requesting more stone milk tea to be produced, competing with Tie Luo Han as one of the earliest known varietals in the Wuyi Mountains.

斗茶图 "Tea Competition" By Liu Songnian. Stone Milk was an early and clear winner in the competitive tea events of the early Song Dynasty

Though these ancient imperial records indicate a tea by this name indeed achieved status as a representative to the region and style, there remain questions about which modern tea this name could be linked to.

said to be amongst the oldest cliff carvings in the core Wuyi scenic park, this carving reportedly by 吴骥 Wu Ji during the Song Dynasty reading 石乳留香 Shi Ru Liu Xiang, "Stone Milk Fragrance" is in 九龙窠 Jiu Long Ke near the Da Hong Pao motherbushes

Not to be lost to the annals, the legendary name Stone Milk lives on in the modern cultivar technically name 石乳香 Shi Ru Xiang, undergoing development and improvement in the 20th century.  The semantics begs for a few questions: what tea were these records referring to?  Does the original Stone Milk cultivar live on just by another name it had to adopt because of politics?  How close is the modern Stone Milk to this famed original?

Mr. Xu's Zhu Keng Stone Milk

Another ideal Wuyi Mountain hinterland like Wusandi, Zhu Keng "Bamboo Pit" is a tucked away mountain valley village outside of Wuyi City, southeast of Tongmu Pass.  Surrounded in nearly all directions by a cradle of high mountains topping out between 1100-1200 meters high, tea in Zhu Keng is grown on these slopes typically between 350-800 meters.  Known for its 生态 sheng tai ecological teas, this remote pastoral area is clean and remains largely unfettered by agrochemicals.

Mr. Xu, a talented fourth generation tea maker who has many established family gardens of various varietals in select areas in the greater Wuyi Mountains, farms gardens in Zhu Keng not only of plots of Stone Milk , but also of Bulao Dan and Gua Zi Jin, all matured bushes planted around the turn of the century.

We fell in love with Mr. Xu's teas not just for the diversity of interesting cultivars he stewards in an ecologically responsible manner, but also for his fastidious and exacting methods for producing smooth teas without acridity and off flavors.

Stone Milk plants have much less yield than other varietals, and therefore even rock oolong connoisseurs may have not had a chance to try Stone Milk.  Sought out for its deep history, superior balanced flavor and aroma, as well as for its rarity, we are please to offer a clean Stone Milk at an approachable pricepoint.  We recommend acquiring an aroma spoon to amplify the fragrance intricacies when cupping this special tea (Mr. Xu seen using one in the photos below).