Rou Gui (肉桂)
archetype: Tiger in the cinnamon grove
A spicy power, a warming wildness; a warm hide that smells of cinnamon.
History
'Cinnamon' (after the aroma of the leaf) is one of the four chief Wuyi yancha alongside Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian and Tie Luohan. The Rou Gui bushes grow in the same gorges of the cliff cliffs; the leaf is oxidised to 50–60 % and roasted many times over coals, drawing out a dark caramel sweetness and a recognisable cinnamon spice. The intensity of the spice shifts with the harvest spot: in Niu Lan Keng it is sharp, in Ma Tou Yan it is deep, in Xiang Zhen it is at its sweetest.
Terroir
The best gardens are Niu Lan Keng ('the cow pen'), Ma Tou Yan ('the horse's head'), Xiang Zhen ('the fragrant cliffs'). Each gives its own profile of spice — from sharp to honeyed.
Leaf
cinnamon, dark caramel, a faint roast, mineral depth; in long infusions — dark berry and ripe prune long, spicy, warming the chest; the aftertaste holds for an hour, leaving a warm tigerish echo in the throat
Properties
rich in melanoidins and essential oils, including cinnamaldehyde (hence the cinnamon tone); warms gently, supports circulation and the digestion of rich food dense, warming, spreading from the belly into chest and shoulders; felt like a warm beast under the skin medium (40–55 mg), the effect comes slowly
Brewing ritual
a yixing pot of 120 ml in zhu ni; 100 °C, mineral; 8 g / 120 ml. 8s — the first warmth: cinnamon, smoke of the cliff; 10s — the peak of spice: dark caramel, leather, cinnamon; 12s — mineral depth, dark chocolate; 18s — berry with bitterness, autumn forest; 25s — a long spice — warm stone; 40s — the tiger leaves — a warm echo in the chest.
When to drink
day and evening — especially after coming in from the cold. winter and late autumn. when body and nose are chilled; when you need a wild clear strength; before a long winter walk; when tone has fallen