Batch 124 Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
March 20, 2026

Batch 124 Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

Home Eco-Cha Tea Club Batch 124 Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea Gongfu Brew

Batch 124 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea from Taiwan.  This batch of tea was harvested about three months after the winter harvest, at 2000m elevation. The leaves were exposed to cold temperatures for a couple of months before being plucked during a frost. These conditions offer a composition in the leaf material that is unique. Check the sourcing blogpost for the background story on this batch of tea.


Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea - dried leaves

The dried leaves shown in the photo above are noticeably bulky, with a slightly yellowish hue. These indicate that the age and consequent substance of the leaves. This type of leaf material requires extensive processing for optimal results.


By normal farm management standards, leaves that have been on the tree for over three months are no longer suitable for harvesting. This is a standard rule that is followed to produce standard results, however. And this batch of tea leaves that were picked in the middle of winter, while covered in frost, is well outside standard harvesting conditions! They are processed and harvested with the express purpose of producing a distinguished character of tea — a character that has been given the name Golden Oolong in Taiwan's local industry of High Mountain Tea production.

Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea -brewed tea in a cup

The photo of the brewed tea above shows the exceptionally bright, almost glowing appearance of its composition. This limpid, substantial brew pretty much tastes how it looks — vibrant, smooth, fresh, and full-flavored. It brews up a savory herb aromatic and flavor profile that is more akin to leaves from a tree than a leafy green vegetable. In this sense it is similar to fresh bay leaves, but not at all as pungent. It's similar to bay leaves or other aromatic leaves in that it has notes of essential oils in addition to a fresh herbal quality. Fresh snap peas, dill, fennel, and arugula have all come to mind in the process of exploring this batch of tea. These notes are delivered on a smooth, slick palate with a substantial mouthfeel without any astringency or even bitter qualities.

Li Shan Late Winter High Mountain Tea brewed leaves

Watch the video for the live tasting commentary as well as a more in depth presentation of the leaves, and their overall story.

 

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