Although there was a light, wispy fog up at the tea garden by 10 a.m. on the day of harvest, the leaves were transported down the mountain — from 1500m on the farm to about 700m elevation at the factory. It was a warm and sunny day in the village where the leaves were processed, offering optimal withering conditions. The character of the brewed tea is a classic fall batch — not overly fragrant, but substantial in both its aromatic and flavor profile. A smooth, balanced brew that results from tender leaf material and skillful processing.
Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong was the first of three different types of tea we cupped last week on our fall 2023 sourcing trip to Alishan Tea Country. Of the three batches of Alishan Jin Xuan being brewed above, we chose the one with the most pronounced buttery/creamy note that is characteristic of the Jin Xuan/Tai Cha #12 cultivar — also known as "milk oolong". This batch was also the most oxidized — resulting in a full bodied, balanced brew.
It was quite the tea cupping when we visited our source of both Alishan and Li Shan High Mountain Oolong to taste the recent fall harvest. We cupped three different types of tea overall, drinking tea for about three hours straight! But for now, we'll focus on Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea — fall harvest.
Taiwan, a land of vibrant culture and rich traditions, is no stranger to unique customs and celebrations. One such captivating event is the Ghost Festival, known as 中元節 (Zhongyuan Festival), which takes place during the seventh month of the lunar calendar. This month-long celebration culminates on the 15th day when the gates of hell are believed to be thrown open, allowing restless spirits to roam freely on the earthly plane.
The tea garden that produced our summer 2023 batch of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong is an especially foresty plot of tea — especially in its current state! The owner of this plot of tea initially planted a lot of trees that have grown to nearly full size. The tea trees themselves have also been allowed to grow taller than usual, and were not trimmed after spring harvest.
We are excited to present a fine batch of Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea — summer 2023! Taiwan has had much better weather during the second flush growing season, following drought conditions in early spring. And the weather during summer harvest has been auspiciously sunny!
Spring harvest of Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea produced better results than perhaps anywhere else on Taiwan this year. This is due to the fact that the Li Shan tea producing region is at the highest elevation, making it the latest harvest in spring and the earliest harvest in winter.
We snapped the photo above as we finally sat down after our work was done, and watched the sun rise over the ridge below Phoenix Mountain in Lugu, Taiwan. The third and final shift of processing the spring crop of Traditional Dong Ding Oolong Tea began at midnight and was completed as the sun rose.
Our Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea is cultivated on a residential farm, run by a husband and wife team, with their own factory, and surrounded by forest. This couple is most closely aligned with Eco-Cha's premise of sustainability in their farming and tea production practice. We are excited to put their Oolong Tea back on our menu this spring!
What's the difference between an Oolong tea that's been roasted for over three weeks versus one roasted over three years? We did a taste test of two of our roasted Taiwanese teas to find out! Continue reading to find out what we discovered!
Normally, this holiday also marks the beginning of spring harvest in central Taiwan's largest tea producing regions. Due to the lack of rain thus far in 2023, the spring tea growing season has been delayed. The tea growing areas in northern Taiwan seem to be getting enough rain however, and spring harvest is on schedule for Sanxia'sBi Luo Chun, Pinglin'sWenshan Baozhong, and Muzha'sTie Guan Yin Oolong.
The Eco-Cha Tea Club is not just about the rare batches of specialty tea we find and share. It's an ongoing story of Taiwan's tea culture and professional tea industry. The blogs we publish with each batch of tea, along with a tasting video, tell the story of where the tea was grown, the terroir, the tea makers, and more. The Tea Club offers tea lovers around the world an ongoing education and virtual tour of the world of Taiwanese tea.
