The Buddha's Hand cultivar is named for its uncharacteristically large leaves. Fully developed, they can span the width and length of a person's hand. Its name also alludes to the similarity in scent of its leaves to the zest of the fingered citron.

This tea traces its origins to Fujian Province's Yong Chun county. It arrived in Taiwan with immigrants who planted the cultivar in the tea region north of present day Taipei. The popularity of other cultivars soon eclipsed Buddha's Hand, and it is now quite rare in Taiwan.

Buddha’s Hand Redux is uniquely crafted. In Fujian, Buddha's Hand is traditionally crafted as a lightly oxidized rolled oolong, similar to a green Anxi Tieguanyin. In Taiwan, we've come across both rolled and twisted versions of this tea - the few we've seen have also been lightly oxidized.

In contrast, the oxidation level of the Buddha's Hand Redux exceeds 60%, achieved with an extended period of cool temperature withering that produces dark, auburn leaves. This longer withering period produces distinct honey and fruit notes in the tea. Once set as a maocha by the producer, an experienced roaster adds over a week of low temperature convection roasting. This second step produced the tea's chocolate, dark sugar, and malt notes.

Buddha’s Hand Redux represents the perfect confluence of leaf cultivar, provenance, and skilled craftsmanship. The result is a tea that is texturally rich, sweet, and complex.