Batch 126 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is an early spring Alishan Jin Xuan Tea from Taiwan. It was harvested on March 27 in Tai Xing Village of Meishan Township. Check our sourcing blog for more detailed info on its origin. There are two complementary reasons why we chose this batch of tea for the tea club.

The first reason is about the name. Alishan is Taiwan's most famous regional name for tea, and Jin Xuan is the name of the tea cultivar that is most widely referred to as "milk oolong". So sharing a batch of Jin Xuan tea produced in the Alishan region offers our members the experience of one of Taiwan's most popular types of tea.

Secondly, Jin Xuan (aka Tai Cha #12, aka milky oolong) is a tea cultivar — a tea tree varietal. So although it is most well known for the milky/buttery aromatic and flavor notes, that's not all that Jin Xuan has to offer! The milky/buttery notes are most commonly expressed from a Jin Xuan that has been minimally oxidized in its processing. However, when the combination of contributing factors (seasonal weather, harvest conditions, and processing methods) are altered slightly, Jin Xuan is also known to offer a brew with prominently floral, and sometimes fruity characteristics.

Those are the specifically identifiable reasons why we chose this batch of tea, but the bottomline truth is that we simply experience it as a lovely tea. It's elegant and abundant in its aromatic and flavor qualities. That's the short of it! Watch the tasting video for the full scoop!