Batch 105 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a spring 2024 Award-Winning Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea from Taiwan. Read about where this tea comes from in the sourcing blogpost. The Alishan Farmers' Association has established a quality standard that is distinctly sets it apart from the standard High Mountain Tea in Taiwan. It is a flavor profile that results from significant, but still light oxidation of the leaves as they are being cured, and a mild post-production roasting.

The bright limpid, golden yellow composition of the brewed tea expresses both the gentle oxidation as well as the roasting. It's not far from the standard Taiwanese high mountain tea in its processing, but it is distinctly different in character and flavor profile. There is no green vegetal aspect combined with the classic fresh aromatic floral/herbal notes. Rather, the green factor has been mellowed by pushing it further up the partially oxidized scale, and lightly baking the leaves, post production. The result is an integrated vibrant, but sweeter profile that combines mild floral and savory notes with toasted grains and a smidgeon of butter.

The appearance of the dried leaves also exhibits the preservation of the original fresh leaf material. The color of the dried leaves has barely been altered by the light roasting. They have maintained their fresh quality to a large extent, but have only been slightly mellowed and sweetened by the additional processing. The uniformity of color and shape indicates that the leaves have been groomed of stem material and discolored leaves. This allows for a more uniform effect in the roasting. Competition grade whole leaf tea must be uniform in its appearance. This is the first step in their assessment — followed by the visual assessment of the brewed tea, then the aromatic and flavor profile.