Review: Red Jade and Concubine Oolong Reviews by TChing
November 18, 2013
A great read on Eco-Cha Red Jade and Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine Oolong Teas by Regena Rafelson of TChing.
"The first sip was minty and spicy. I immediately drained the cup. The second steep was even better, catching all the best of Autumn’s fruits, falling leaves, gathering firewood. The tea remained aromatic through four steeps. My husband and I enjoyed it for several days, chatting away as we sat near the wood stove, sipping Red Jade Tea. The tea is a real treat!"
"A whiff of leather and tobacco, very pleasant. The second steep was lovely, like dried plums and dried cherries. Through a fourth steep, the leaves unfurled more, but remaining fully flavorful."
Head over to their outstanding tea blog to have a read:
Batch #50 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club starts off 2020 with a freshly harvested Alishan High Mountain Oolong Winter Tea from our ongoing source in Meishan Township. This very small batch of tea was their final day of winter harvest. The leaves were not yet fully mature, and offer a fresh, distinctly aromatic and complex flavor profile.
The photo above is this month's batch of the Eco-Cha Tea Club undergoing solar withering on November 11, 2019. This was the final day of winter harvest for our source of Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea, and we were able to procure enough of this very minimal batch to share with our Tea Club. This date was 3 days after Li Dong (立冬) in the lunar calendar, and the winter harvest of High Mountain Tea had for the most part been completed in central Taiwan.
This summer 2017 crop of naturally cultivated and well bug bitten and matured leaves were processed as a traditional Oolong, which mainly means that they were well oxidized. The work that went into oxidizing these leaves was considerable as well as skillful. The leaves needed to be worked, and they got worked well! The result is a full-bodied, substantial brew that offers a very satisfying balance that starts with a mild smokiness, leading into a fruity body with mineral notes, and finishing with something reminiscent of old school Charms lollipops. It really does have a distinct plum powder/confectioner's sugar finishing note that is cushioned by that smoky mineral base. It's a mouthful!
