Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea – Rougui No. 09 (Medium-High Roast) — ovanyu

The Boldest Voice in the Rock Garden — Wuyi Rougui

Among the classic Wuyi rock oolongs, Rougui occupies a singular position. Where Da Hong Pao is balanced and composed, Rougui is immediate and assertive — a tea that announces itself from the moment the dry leaf is warmed in the vessel. Its defining characteristic is the cassia-spice aroma that gives it its name: Rou Gui, literally "cinnamon bark," a bold, warm, distinctly spiced fragrance that no other Wuyi cultivar produces.

Grown in the mineral-saturated rock gardens of the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province — where volcanic soil, natural springs, and mountain mist create the irreplaceable yan yun terroir — ovanyu's Rougui No. 09 is finished with a medium-high roast: a level of heat that locks in the cassia character, develops a rich fruit depth, and produces a tea of exceptional clarity and lift. Sharp, vivid, and long. This is Wuyi at its most expressive.

Why Rougui No. 09

• Cassia Bark Spice (Guì Pí Xiāng) — The signature of great Rougui: a warm, dry, distinctly spiced aroma — cinnamon bark, dried cassia, a hint of clove — that rises from the warmed leaf before water is even added. In No. 09, the medium-high roast has concentrated and locked in this character, making it more pronounced, more persistent, and more deeply integrated into the body of the cup. It is not a decoration. It is the tea.
• Bright Fruit Depth (Guǒ Xiāng) — Beneath the cassia spice, a rich, warm fruit note: dried peach, longan, a touch of dark plum — round and generous, adding sweetness and complexity without softening the tea's inherent boldness. This fruit character is a hallmark of high-quality Rougui from the Wuyi rock gardens and becomes more pronounced in later infusions as the cassia settles.
• Vivid, Bracing Clarity (Xiān Chún Gāo Sǎng) — Despite the intensity of its aroma and the depth of its roast, No. 09 finishes with a remarkable clarity and lift — clean, almost electric on the palate, with none of the heaviness that a poorly made high-roast oolong can carry. This is the quality that separates rock-garden Rougui from imitations: the brightness is structural, not accidental. It is the direct expression of the mineral terroir and the skill of the roast.
• Medium-High Roast — Intensity with Precision — A medium-high roast is the most demanding level to execute well. Too much heat and the cassia is overwhelmed by char; too little and the Rougui character lacks the integration and persistence that defines its best expressions. No. 09 represents this balance resolved: a roast that has deepened and concentrated the cultivar's natural boldness without compromising its clarity or fruit depth.
• Wuyi Rock-Garden Origin, Full Traditional Process — Sourced from the core Wuyi Mountain growing region, processed through the full traditional Wuyi oolong method: withering, solar and indoor tossing, partial oxidation, rolling, and charcoal roasting at medium-high heat. Every step calibrated to the specific character of the Rougui cultivar.

What's Inside

Origin: Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province, China
Cultivar: Rougui (Cassia) — Wuyi Rock Oolong
Roast Level: Medium-High
Net Weight: 150g (5.29 oz)
Processing: Traditional withering, solar and indoor tossing, partial oxidation, rolling, charcoal roasting
Ingredients: 100% single-origin Wuyi Rougui 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. Medium-high roast Rougui demands full boiling water — the heat is what activates the cassia character and releases the mineral depth. Warm the vessel before brewing to maximize the dry aroma. The cassia spice is most intense in the early steeps; the fruit depth and yan yun emerge and deepen from the third infusion onward.

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 times, adding 30 seconds each round. The bold character of Rougui holds up exceptionally well to Western-style brewing — fuller and more satisfying than lighter oolongs in this format.

Cold Brew
Leaves: 8–10g | Water: 600ml cold water
Refrigerate 14–18 hours. Cold extraction softens the roasted edge and foregrounds the fruit sweetness and a gentle cassia warmth — a notably different and surprisingly delicate expression of the same leaf. Serve at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Rougui, and how is it different from Da Hong Pao?
A: Rougui and Da Hong Pao are both Wuyi rock oolongs grown in the same mountain terroir, but they are different cultivars with fundamentally different flavor profiles. Da Hong Pao is known for its balanced floral complexity and composed mineral depth. Rougui is defined by its cassia-spice character — bold, warm, and immediately distinctive. Da Hong Pao is considered the more classical expression of Wuyi oolong; Rougui is the more assertive one. Both are exceptional; they are simply different conversations about the same landscape.

Q: What does medium-high roast mean for Rougui specifically?
A: Rougui is one of the few Wuyi cultivars that responds particularly well to higher roast levels — the heat concentrates and locks in the cassia character that defines the cultivar, rather than suppressing it. A medium-high roast produces a Rougui of maximum aromatic intensity, fruit depth, and structural clarity: the defining qualities of No. 09. Lighter roasts of Rougui can be brighter but less integrated; heavier roasts can tip into char. Medium-high is where the cultivar is most fully itself.

Q: What is yan yun and will I taste it in Rougui?
A: Yan yun — "rock rhyme" — is the cool, mineral resonance specific to teas grown in the volcanic rock soils of the Wuyi Mountains. In Rougui, it expresses differently than in Da Hong Pao — less as a quiet mineral presence and more as a structural clarity and persistent finish that keeps the boldness of the cassia from becoming heavy. You feel it as lift: the tea's intensity without weight.

Q: How many infusions will I get?
A: Using Gongfu brewing, expect 8–12 infusions. The character evolves significantly: cassia-forward and intense in the early steeps, shifting toward fruit depth and mineral clarity in the middle rounds, finishing with a warm, clean sweetness. Each infusion is worth attention.

Q: Is this suitable as a gift?
A: Rougui is one of the most distinctive and celebrated rock oolongs — immediately memorable, unmistakably specific, and deeply satisfying for those who appreciate bold, complex teas. It is a gift that makes an impression. ovanyu's packaging is designed with a refined aesthetic appropriate for meaningful personal and professional gifting.