Dianhong Black Tea Expert—XUE LIN

Xue Lin – Master Tea Blender, Inheritor of Yunnan Black Tea Intangible Cultural Heritage Craft, Chief Blending Specialist of Yunnan Black Tea Group

As the saying goes, “Wine depends on blending, tea depends on mixing.” The reason Yunnan Black Tea has maintained its stable taste for decades is all thanks to the masterful blending techniques of experts like Mr. Xue Lin. With a background in tea and decades of honing his skills, Xue Lin has developed his unique “secret techniques.”

The blending process starts with a preliminary small-scale mix, evaluating each factor such as appearance and internal quality against processing standards. Once the pre-blend sample meets the standards, the tea is combined in proportions according to the pre-blended sample. After blending, the tea undergoes thorough inspection and evaluation to ensure the final product matches the quality of the pre-blended sample before proceeding to the next steps.

Blending is a crucial part of the refined processing of Yunnan Black Tea. Even if other technical processes are executed perfectly, an improper blend will not yield a visually appealing or high-quality product. This meticulous blending process is the key to Yunnan Black Tea’s long-standing reputation for stable quality and authentic taste.

拼配茶大师 薛林，滇红非遗工艺传承人，滇红集团首席拼配师

俗话说：“酒靠勾兑，茶靠拼配”，滇红茶之所以能几十年保持稳定的口感，全得益于拼配大师的拼配技艺。薛林先生学茶出身，经过几十年的锤炼，形成自己独有的“武功秘籍”。首先进行小样预拼，按外形和内质的各项因子逐项审评比较，符合加工标准样后，按预拼的各筛号茶比例匀堆拼合。拼合后再认真检验审评，认定其品质确实符合预拼样，方可进行下步作业。拼配是滇红茶精制加工生产的一个重要环节，拼配比例不合理，其它各个工艺技术处理再好，也不能获得美观的外形及良好的品质。这就是滇红茶长期以来保持品质稳定、口感正宗的秘籍。