Eco-Cha Tea Club
![Eco-Cha Jin Xuan GABA Tea dried leaves](http://eco-cha.com/cdn/shop/articles/Jin_Xuan_GABA_Tea_dried_leaves-730x245_730x245.jpg?v=1530928047)
Eco-Farmed Jin Xuan GABA Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
This month's batch of tea being shared with the Eco-Cha Tea Club continues to intrigue us. It has qualities of a delicate Black Tea, with the complexity and depth that defines Oolong Tea. It's mild in character, but very substantial and well balanced in its flavor profile. Smooth on the palate, with tangy, fruity notes, and a lasting heady finish. It's got that composition that keeps you refilling your cup to get more!
![Eco-Farm tea farm in Taiwan](http://eco-cha.com/cdn/shop/articles/Eco-Farmed_Tea_Farm_Taiwan_-_730x245_730x245.jpg?v=1530764027)
Eco-Farmed Jin Xuan GABA Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club
While GABA tea was invented in Japan, it wasn't until Taiwanese tea makers applied their expertise in Oolong Tea processing methods that it became known for its unique qualities of flavor along with its heath benefits. Japanese production of GABA tea is focused on its value as a health food supplement, similar to green tea powder. The tea industry in Taiwan relies on its differentiating value of quality produce to compensate for its relatively low volume, compared to other tea producing countries. So when the demand for GABA tea increased, Taiwanese tea makers used their skillful resources and developed a specialty tea with specific healthy attributes.
![Eco-Farmed Dong Pian Jade Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club](http://eco-cha.com/cdn/shop/articles/blog-previewimage-template-_10_2ccd4ce7-e35d-4f3f-b852-7a5dec35724c_732x244.jpg?v=1526211667)
Eco-Farmed Dong Pian Jade Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Our friend who is an organic tea farmer kept this batch separate from his normal practice of combining winter and spring harvests for his high grade produce for retail sale. We discovered that he still had a small amount of this harvest left when we visited his farmhouse a few months ago and inquired if he had any unique batches of tea to share. In classic local manner, he modestly replied that he had a batch of Dong Pian Tsui Yu that was harvested last January. Dong Pian in Chinese basically means late winter harvest, and Tsui Yu is a hybrid strain that is translated as Jade Oolong. We tasted it and were captivated by its character, and were delighted to be told that there was enough tea be shared with the Eco-Cha Tea Club!
![Eco-Farmed Dong Pian Jade Oolong Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club](http://eco-cha.com/cdn/shop/articles/blog-previewimage-template-_10_4121d702-f83f-46c0-b18d-bf654771a6cc_732x244.jpg?v=1525625375)
Eco-Farmed Dong Pian Jade Oolong Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Shown above is the more recently planted section of a plot of Tsui Yu, aka Tai Cha #13, aka Jade Oolong. The crop that we are sharing with the Eco-Cha Tea Club this month was harvested in January, which makes it a relatively rare batch of tea in that it was harvested well after the winter harvest. In Taiwan, harvests that occur after December 21st are referred to as "Dong Pian", which is a name that connotes a new leaf growth that is stunted by the winter season. This late winter crop offers a distinctive character based on the slow growth of the new leaves on the tea trees.
![Premier Crop Organic Jin Xuan Oolong Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club](http://eco-cha.com/cdn/shop/articles/Organic_Jin_Xuan_Tea_Leaves_732x244.jpg?v=1517979302)
Premier Crop Organic Jin Xuan Oolong Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
These leaves were harvested from young tea trees that were ready for their very first trimming, prompting them to sprout more branches before growing taller. This premier harvest of organically cultivated Jin Xuan Tea plants is what we have chosen to share on the occasion of Chinese New Year with the Eco-Cha Tea Club. The character of this tea conveys the vibrant, nutrient-rich, new growth of young tea trees growing on an organic farm.
![Premier Crop Organic Jin Xuan Oolong | Eco-Cha Tea Club](http://eco-cha.com/cdn/shop/articles/blog-previewimage-template-_10_d23b96f8-6924-4ff1-8d51-238aa8df0800_732x244.jpg?v=1517587870)
Premier Crop Organic Jin Xuan Oolong | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Mr. Xie made a life-changing decision 20 years ago by committing to transition the tradition he inherited from his father and grandfather before him to organic tea farming. He did this solely by his own conviction that it was the right thing to do. He came close to failing at first, but his farm survived, and through many years of pioneering experimentation, he succeeded. He is now a leading representative of organic tea farming in his community, and has formed a co-op of neighboring farms to develop his business. In recent years, a younger generation of local farmers are following his example. This is the latest chapter on the local scene that we find truly exciting.
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