Small-Leaf Kuding · 2026 First Spring | Pure Rice-Bud Harvest

The smaller, the earlier, the better.

These are rice-bud grade small-leaf Kuding, harvested in the very first days of spring 2026. Each tiny bud is uniform, vivid green, and exceptionally clean. This is the earliest pluck of the season, when the plant has just woken up and every bud carries the concentrated energy of winter's rest.

Drop one pinch into a glass. Within ten seconds, the buds bloom open in the water like a tiny garden waking up. Clear, bright liquor. Fresh, clean fragrance. A taste that opens sweet, stays light, and finishes with the kind of gentle bitterness that clears the palate and leaves you refreshed.

No heaviness. No harshness. Just early spring in a glass.

What makes this grade special:

Small-leaf Kuding is a different plant from the common large-leaf variety. The flavor is far gentler, more aromatic, less intensely bitter, with a clean sweetness that lingers. The rice-bud grade takes only the tiniest, earliest buds, uniform in size and color, with the highest purity of any harvest in the year. Once spring advances, this grade is gone.

Harvest: Spring 2026, First Flush 

Grade: Pure rice-bud, small-leaf variety (小叶苦丁) 

Appearance: Uniform tiny buds, vivid emerald green, high clarity

Fragrance: Fresh, clean, lightly floral

Liquor: Crystal clear, bright pale green

Taste: Sweet entry, clean and refreshing, gently cooling finish

Value: Exceptional quality at accessible price

Brew guide: 85°C water · a small pinch per glass · watch the buds bloom open in 10 seconds · no steeping time needed · re-brew 3 to 5 times

Ten seconds. Then spring opens in your glass.