Batch 130 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea, fall 2026 harvest. Following the spring harvest, the leaves were allowed to grow naturally — without being pruned. The leaves that were too immature to be picked at spring harvest continued to grow and nourish the trees, along with new growth following the spring harvest. We are under the impression that this farm practice of letting the trees grow naturally (no pruning, no fertilizers) during the summer season can produce a crop that has its own character. The leaves are fully grown, but not overly mature. The trees have continued to absorb nutrients from the fertilizers administered during spring harvest, but in a more gradual manner.They weren't pumped with nutrients while the new leaf growth developed on the tree.

Of course, in the end it comes down to proper processing of the tea leaves, given their overall condition. And this is where skill based on experience comes into play. We tasted 16 samples of the recent Li Shan fall (second flush) harvest. There were many compositions of tea that expressed a story about the growing season, the weather on the day of harvest, and the way the leaves were treated as they were being cured. This batch of tea expressed the most distinctive aromatic profile along with the classic high elevation fresh, foresty notes for which Li Shan tea is renowned. The brewed leaves in the photo below are notably still young and tender in their appearance. There are no stiff, leathery, discolored leaves. To the contrary, we find them to be rather voluptuous!