Inkstone Kiln — Wuyi Rock Oolong from HorseHead Cliff (High Oxidation, Gentle Charcoal Roast)

Inkstone Kiln is crafted in one of Wuyishan’s most revered true-rock enclaves — Matou Cliff (馬頭岩 / Horse-Head Cliff), a steep volcanic amphitheater famed for its iron-rich basalt, cool gorge winds, and soft morning mist. This micro-region, considered one of the jewels of the True-Rock (正岩) core, produces yancha with unmistakable mineral depth, inner warmth, and the long-echoing resonance known as 岩韵 (rock rhyme).

Within this ancient gorge, Ivy Hermit’s Inkstone Kiln represents our Big Blue Robe (大藍袍) expression — a quieter, deeper interpretation of the Dahongpao lineage. Where red robe burns bright, the blue robe glows from within: steady, contemplative, and shaped by shadowed cliffs and slow, mineral-rich growth.

Oxidized between 70–85% and finished with a gentle, medium-light charcoal roast, Inkstone Kiln reveals layered warmth without overwhelming its floral-mineral clarity. Though rock oolong is rarely cold-brewed, Ivy Hermit developed a method that preserves the tea’s “kiln-like glow” even at low temperatures, translating Matou Cliff’s warmth into a cool, modern ritual.

Flavor & Aroma

Inkstone Kiln opens with the deep elegance of true Wuyi rock tea:

• roasted orchid

• dark stone fruit

• cacao husk

• warm mineral vapor from the cliff walls

As the cup unfolds, subtler notes appear — cedarwood, kiln smoke, caramelized peach, and the round sweetness of lightly roasted bark.
The palate is structured yet smooth, finishing long, warm, and echoing with the cliff’s mineral signature.

Cold-brewed, the tea shifts into refined clarity:
black cherry, sweet stone, and an inner warmth that contradicts its cool temperature — a duality unique to true Matou Cliff yancha.

Mouthfeel

The liquor is dense, velvety, and stone-polished.
It moves with gravity, then lifts gently, leaving behind a warm, lingering sweetness.

This is the texture Wuyi artisans call 岩骨花香 — rock bones, floral soul.

Smooth, steady, and quietly powerful — like ink flowing over carved slate.

Origin & Craft

Matou Cliff (馬頭岩), in the UNESCO-protected core of the Wuyi Mountains, is one of the most prized micro-regions in yancha terroir. Its signature traits shape Inkstone Kiln:

• iron-rich volcanic rock that infuses mineral character

• cool cliff winds that sharpen fragrance

• deep shade that slows leaf growth

• morning mist that softens and sweetens the leaves

Handpicked from mature bushes, the leaves undergo slow withering, careful shaking, and controlled oxidation. The finishing roast is applied in waves, using aged charcoal to develop warmth without excess smoke.

Cold-brewed for 10 hours in New York using pH-neutral Catskill Mountain water, Inkstone Kiln becomes a modern meditation on warmth within coolness — a gorge’s memory translated into a bottle.

Mood & Experience

Inkstone Kiln is a tea of depth, rhythm, and inner fire.
Perfect for:

• winter evenings

• creative focus

• emotional grounding

• Blue Autumn gatherings

• late-night conversations and contemplation

It drinks like a warm stone held in the hand: steady, centering, and resonant.

A blue robe of quiet strength for those who seek presence, depth, and time.