Batch 60 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club brings us to a full five years of offering monthly editions of specialty Taiwanese teas! This month's edition was cultivated and crafted by one of our most respected sources of naturally farmed tea. He not only employs the most radical natural farming methods we know of, he also is continually refining processing methods to bring his produce to its fullest potential, based on the growing conditions of each season. Mr. Xie also produces our GABA Oolong Tea, which, like this month's batch, is one of his signature products.
Beyond his natural farming methods, there are two main reasons we sourced this batch of tea for the Tea Club. The first is that it's rare to find a medium-heavy roast Oolong made from Four Seasons Spring cultivar. The second is the roasting methods used — namely an oven designed for roasting coffee beans, and supposedly there are only 13 of these ovens in existence! Of course, it was the aroma and flavor profile of ths tea that initially caught our attention and proved worthy of sharing with our Tea Club members!
Four Seasons Spring is most known for its distinct floral notes, as it is most commonly produced as a lightly oxidized unroasted Oolong, or a Black Tea. We think that this character comes through in the tangy fruity profile that this batch of tea offers. This sweet/sour fruity flavor integrated with bold roasted notes offers a unique character of tea. It's a bit reminiscent of an aged tea, but with much more roast. It's also a bit similar to Pomelo Tea - meaning roasted tea leaves that have been stuffed in pomelo rinds and roasted again. The hearty yet complex combination tart fruitiness and smoky roasted notes makes it stand on its own as distinctive Oolong Tea.
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