Three years ago when it happened it was due to an extreme fluctuation of weather, when it was warm in late March and early April so the leaves were growing faster than normal. Before they were ready for plucking a frost suddenly came to kill almost all shoots and young leaves. After the weather normalised young leaves on the whole mountains sprouted and opened almost simultaneously. Production through put speed could never have catch up for such an influx. Those leaves that were plucked but could not be processed in time simply got laid there to wither. The only tea processing these poor leaves could go through was that of the black, although none of the production masters there were proficient in it. Nor were they properly set up for it. That is why the black tea coming out that year were not properly rolled like other black teas and the fermentation depths were not even. I had a few samples of those even now. They are a constant reminder of how fragile agriculture is, and what miracles those fine quality teas actually are. When I witness the power of Nature over whatever human intelligence, experience or mastery, I can’t help but feel humble and grateful of whatever I am able to enjoy.
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