Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea – Da Hong Pao No. 04 (Medium Roast) — ovanyu

The Standard of Stone — Da Hong Pao at Its Most Essential

There is a version of Da Hong Pao that exists before preference, before style, before any debate about roast level or floral brightness — a version that simply is what this tea was always meant to be. ovanyu's Da Hong Pao No. 04 is that version.

Sourced from rock-garden plots in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province — where fractured volcanic soil, natural mineral springs, and mountain mist create a growing environment of irreplaceable specificity — and finished with a medium roast that has become the reference point for this tea globally: No. 04 does not try to be brighter than it is, or deeper than it needs to be. It is balanced, complete, and entirely itself. The floral complexity of the Wuyi leaf is present. The mineral yan yun is fully expressed. The roasted warmth is integrated without dominating. And the returning sweetness — the hui gan — is long, clean, and unmistakable.

This is the Da Hong Pao to reach for when you want to understand what the category is capable of.

Why Da Hong Pao No. 04

• Layered Floral Complexity (Fù Hé Huā Xiāng) — At medium roast, the floral aromatics of the rock-grown leaf do not disappear — they deepen and consolidate. What emerges in No. 04 is a composed, multi-layered floral character: dried osmanthus, warm orchid, a subtle dark-fruit sweetness woven underneath. It is not the open brightness of a lighter roast. It is the considered richness of a tea that has been given time and heat to become more fully itself.
• Pronounced Mineral Rock Rhyme (Yán Yùn) — No. 04 carries the yan yun of the Wuyi rock terroir at its most complete expression within the medium roast range. The mineral quality — cool, stone-like, resonant — is not a background note here. It is structural: felt throughout the body of the cup, persisting through the finish, anchoring every sip to the landscape in which these leaves grew. This is what rock oolong is for.
• Full-Bodied, Returning Sweetness (Chún Hé Huí Gān) — The body of No. 04 is round and complete — neither light nor heavy, but precisely weighted. The hui gan arrives gradually after the swallow: first a warmth, then a sweetness, then a long, clean finish that persists well past the cup. This is the return that experienced tea drinkers look for, and that distinguishes a well-sourced, well-roasted rock oolong from everything else.
• Medium Roast — The Reference Expression — If medium-light is where floral character peaks and heavy roast is where depth and aging potential dominate, medium roast is where these qualities meet most completely. No. 04 represents this equilibrium at its most refined — a tea in which the roast has done its work fully without leaving a trace of imbalance. The fire has served the leaf. The leaf defines the cup.
• Wuyi Mountain Rock-Garden Origin — Sourced exclusively from the Wuyi Mountain growing region, processed through traditional withering, indoor and solar tossing, partial oxidation, rolling, and finished with charcoal roasting. No shortcuts. No approximations. The full process, applied with the precision it requires.

What's Inside

Origin: Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province, China
Type: Wuyi Rock Oolong (Yán Chá) — Da Hong Pao
Roast Level: Medium
Net Weight: 150g (5.29 oz)
Processing: Traditional withering, solar and indoor tossing, partial oxidation, rolling, charcoal roasting
Ingredients: 100% single-origin Wuyi rock oolong leaves

How to Brew

Hot Brew (Gongfu Style — Essential)
Leaves: 7–8g | Water: 120–150ml | Temperature: 212°F (100°C) — full boil
First infusion: 20–25 seconds. Add 10–15 seconds each round. Yields 8–12 infusions. Full boiling water is non-negotiable for medium roast Da Hong Pao — the heat is what opens the roasted leaf and releases the mineral depth and floral complexity. Use a Yixing clay pot or porcelain Gaiwan. Early steeps are roasted and floral; middle rounds reveal the full yan yun; later rounds develop a quieter, cleaner sweetness that rewards staying until the end.

Hot Brew (Western Style)
Leaves: 4–5g | Water: 12 oz (350ml) | Temperature: 212°F (100°C)
Steep 2–3 minutes for the first infusion. Re-steep 2–3 additional times, adding 30 seconds each round. The body and depth of a medium roast hold up well to Western brewing — fuller and more satisfying than a lighter roast in this format.

Cold Brew
Leaves: 8–10g | Water: 600ml cold water
Refrigerate 14–18 hours. Cold brewing softens the roasted character and foregrounds the natural sweetness and mineral undertone — a notably different and equally worthwhile expression of the same leaf. Serve at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does No. 04 relate to No. 06 and No. 08 in the ovanyu Da Hong Pao range?
A: The numbering reflects position within the range, not quality ranking — all three are sourced from the same Wuyi rock-garden origin. No. 08 is a medium-light roast: bright, floral, and approachable. No. 06 is a medium roast with a grounded, integrated character. No. 04 is also a medium roast, positioned as the most complete and balanced expression of the range — the one that most fully represents what classic Da Hong Pao is meant to be. For those exploring the range, No. 04 is the reference point.

Q: Is medium roast Da Hong Pao better than light or heavy roast?
A: There is no objectively better roast level — only different expressions. Light roast preserves the most floral brightness and is ideal for those who prioritize aromatic delicacy. Heavy roast develops maximum depth and aging potential, preferred by collectors and those who appreciate a more intense, contemplative cup. Medium roast — as in No. 04 — is the equilibrium point: balanced, complex, and the most widely appreciated expression of this tea globally.

Q: What is yan yun and how will I know when I taste it?
A: Yan yun — "rock rhyme" — is the mineral quality unique to teas grown in the volcanic rock soils of the Wuyi Mountains. It manifests as a cool, stone-like resonance in the throat that persists after swallowing — a depth that keeps returning, separate from sweetness or bitterness, felt in the body of the cup as much as on the palate. You will know it by what lingers.

Q: How many infusions can I get?
A: Using Gongfu brewing, expect 8–12 infusions. The character evolves substantially across the session — roasted and floral early, mineral and full in the middle, clean and sweet toward the end. Plan to be present for the full range.

Q: Is this suitable as a gift?
A: Da Hong Pao at a medium roast level is one of the most universally respected categories in Chinese tea — prestigious, complex, and deeply satisfying. No. 04, as the reference expression of the ovanyu range, makes a particularly considered gift. ovanyu's packaging is designed with a refined aesthetic appropriate for meaningful personal and professional gifting.