Batch 114 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a Light Roast Shan Lin Xi Oolong Tea made from fall 2024 harvest. Learn more about where these leaves came from here. The tea leaves were sourced by our mentor Lisa Lin, and roasted three times, as per our request. This is the second fall batch of tea that Lisa has procured from a friend and local producer in Lugu. Lisa has requested relatively more oxidized leaf material that offers her a spectrum of roasting options.

Allowing the fall crop to mature, and then oxidizing the leaves more extensively is more aligned with the traditional tea making tradition in Lugu — the home of Dong Ding Oolong Tea. Sufficient oxidation of the leaves when they are cured is prerequisite to roasting with desired results. Mature leaves that are properly oxidized are optimal for roasting in a spectrum from light to medium, and even toward heavy roast. Lisa is not at all interested in making a tea with even a hint of burnt flavor. She patiently roasts the leaves and explores their possibilities with variations of time and temperature settings.

Although these leaves have undergone three roasting sessions of several hours each, they have maintained their fresh qualities, while being mellowed and sweetened. It's not so different from delicately caramelizing vegetables. After the leaves are completely cured, and before they are roasted, the flavor profile is relatively flat. The experienced artisan looks for an element of purity in the flavor profile. The flavor should be clean, and not muddled. It also should not have any grassy or vegetal notes. Slightly sweet, mildly fresh, clean, and soothing. That's what a good "mao cha" or tea straight out of the factory should offer.

Visually observing the dried leaf material, and the brewed tea, are the initial indicators that reveal the leaf stock and how it was processed. But the brewed leaves are the next level in terms of visually representing the overall quality of the leaves. The photo above simply does not look like these leaves have undergone over 20 hours of roasting! And yet the aromatic and flavor profile tell a different story. This is the intrigue that this type of Oolong Tea embodies.

In the end, it all comes down to how the brewed tea smells and tastes. The character of this tea is within our overall favorite profile. Fresh, complex, layered, heady, and satisfying! Skillfully and significantly oxidized quality leaves that are delicately roasted to bring forth a substance that is nothing less than mysterious. Watch the tasting video for the full experience!

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