Dark tea refers to any tea type that undergoes a “post fermentation” process (like ripe puer tea). We are associating it here with the pile-fermented tea from Hunan province. Hunan dark tea has a long history going back to the trading routes of the ancient Tea Horse Road. These dark teas tend to have a mild, earthy-sweet, pine/hay-like character.
Scenting involves combining tea and flower buds together into large piles overnight. As the flower buds bloom, the tea absorbs the fragrance that is released. In the morning the spent flowers are removed, but the aroma stays with the tea.
