Batch #46 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a Tieguanyin Light Roast Oolong Tea from Yonglong Village in Lugu, Taiwan. The leaves were harvested in June from a plot of heirloom Tieguanyin tea plants. They were cured in the local traditional fashion of Oolong Tea making. The leaves are at least 40% oxidized, and were roasted for about 14 hours.

The chunky nuggets of rolled and dried leaf show both their maturity and substance. This cultivar yields particularly thick leaf, which offers substantial composition in the brew. The significant oxidation and light roasting bring forth a rich, balanced, hearty character of tea.

The texture on the palate is exceptionally thick and and smooth. And the flavor profile is complex and multi-layered. Strong notes of freshly cut fruitwood, dried apricot, and toasted pecans are at the fore, followed by obvious mineral notes, and more subtle leather and tobacco undertones.

Yeah, there's a lot to notice in this brew! It's clearly got a bitter floor, but there's so much happening on that floor that the bitterness holds it all together, and the finishes it off with a clean, lingering aftertaste. This batch is a fine example of the local artisanal Oolong Tea making culture. The raw material of the leaves is a rarity in central Taiwan, and the tea makers are in the heart of Oolong Country in Lugu, the home of Dong Ding Oolong Tea.

We are very happy to be sharing this batch with the Tea Club this month, and look forward to hearing your experiences of it. Please leave comments and post photos here on this blog, and share our posts with your tea head friends!

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