Batch 118 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a First Pick Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea, from spring 2025 harvest. Shown above is the plot of tea that was planted over two years ago. This mountain slope had been farmed, and then left to grow wild again for nearly 30 years. Our source of Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea leased the land, cleared it again, and planted a new plot of Qing Xin Oolong tea plants. Taking care not to stress out their development, they waited until the last day of spring harvest to pluck the new growth from these young trees for the first time since the saplings were planted two years prior. Read the tasting notes blogpost with video here.

We walked up to the farm from the roadside access trail, which led through a good amount of forested land. All of the tea needed to be carried down, which we got join in on the fun for. It was a momentous occasion, and we wanted to show our support for one of our most respected sources of high mountain tea. The husband and wife team are based in the Alishan region, and are in high demand for their tea that is purchased for the Lugu Farmers Association Dong Ding Oolong Tea Competition.

Above is a snap of the scene at the factory that rotates through wholesale buyers showing up to taste the recent days of produce. The father (lower left) sits attentively while his client (far right) stops in for a second round of tasting. These relationships are developed over decades of cooperation. The son is brewing the tea and continues to absorb everything about the production. We've been cooperating with the son since we showed up out of the blue at their Alishan factory 8 years ago. We've since become friends with Mom and Dad, as they are closer in age. We simply love supporting the hard-earned expertise of these people who embody our generation of tea culture. A culture with roots that grew from centuries of tradition.

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