Dragon Well is a centuries-old tea from Hangzhou, China, named after a legendary local well. As the story goes, during a long period of drought, villagers prayed at the well for rain. When the rainfall finally came, the water’s surface began to swirl, forming patterns that resembled small dragons moving beneath it—an auspicious sign in Chinese culture. From then on, the well, and eventually the tea grown nearby, was known as “Dragon Well.”

Unlike most Dragon Well teas, which are still produced in Hangzhou, ours is sourced off the beaten path in Xuan'en—a remote county in Hubei, China, shaped by pine forests and beautiful rolling, rocky hinterlands. The heirloom tea trees growing here are cultivated by families belonging to a thriving organic tea-farming cooperative we’ve worked with for years.

During processing, artisans press, shape and smooth the tea leaves by hand against a hot wok to create Dragon Well’s signature blade-like shape and beloved toasted chestnut aroma. Refreshing and mentally clarifying, it has a cooling quality even when served hot—an ideal cup for any season, any time of day.