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Flavor: Savory, buttery, vegetal aroma. Smooth, substantial texture. Refreshing, herbal finish.
Garden: This batch of tea is from Ruifeng Village in Meishan Township, which lies in the northwest corner of the Alishan tea producing region of Taiwan. Alishan is the southernmost High Mountain Tea producing region, with the Tropic of Cancer running through it. Being further south, it gets more direct sunlight, combined with almost daily afternoon fog that rises from the valleys below. These farms are at 1100-1400m elevation, providing the ideal growing conditions for this produce.
Harvest: Hand-picked, small batch, Ruifeng, Taiwan. Winter 2022.
Elevation: 1400m
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This winter batch of Alishan High Mountain Oolong offers fresh green and floral notes, with a subtle savory herb finish There is enough fresh green to give it the notorious High Mountain Oolong flavor, but it is more full-bodied and mellower than a spring tea character. It's both soothing and refreshing.
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The source of this tea is a very reputable wholesale source for tea merchants throughout Taiwan and mainland China. Their tea is often sold before it is finished being made. We have seen professional competition players visit the factory during harvest time, assess the daily batches of tea half way through their curing process, and make large volume orders. In short, High Mountain Oolong Tea from this source is some of the best of its type on the market.
We befriended the family who runs this factory a few years ago, and have been sourcing our Lishan High Mountain Oolong Tea from them since then. They cooperate with the neighboring tea farmers in their production methods. They purchase quality fertilizer and set guidelines for the farmers to follow in their farm management. They then purchase the raw produce in full from the farmers and process the tea leaves themselves, and handle the sales to wholesale and retail customers. The farmers are often also the craftsmen who process the leaves.
This arrangement is sustainable in several ways. It relieves the farmers of the pressures of investing in the cost of processing their produce. The farmers are able to focus on farm management alone, and not have to worry about promoting and selling their tea. It is far more stable in terms of steady income on a seasonal basis for the farmers, and their lives are made easier as a result of this business relationship.
This region is also a more sustainable agricultural resource than other High Mountain Tea producing regions, due to the fact that the farms are located in a previously developed residential area. Tea producers in Meishan Township have repurposed their land resources to meet the growing demand of high quality tea. This has significantly less impact on the environment than clearing previously undeveloped land for tea production.
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Mug: 8g tea in 300ml 100°C water. Steep for 4 minutes. Re-steep. Adjust to taste.
Cold Brew: Use 5g of tea per liter of water. Brew tea at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and enjoy. Or you can put your cold brew bottle in the fridge to brew overnight and be ready to drink the next day.
Gong Fu: We recommend a 1:15 leaf to water ratio, so 10g of tea for 150mL of water. Use boiling temperature water and brew for about 50 seconds. Increase brewing time with each successive brew. The leaves can be brewed 5-6 times.
