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Flavor: Berry compote, sugarcane aroma. Brown sugar/citrus flavors. Finishing notes of Bergamot and molasses.
Garden: This young farmer inherited his family farm and transitioned to organic farming methods 13 years ago. He processes his crops of the Four Seasons Spring cultivar as lightly oxidized, unroasted Oolong, as well as Black Tea and White Tea. The combination of organic raw produce and local expertise from this historical tea growing region offer consistent quality specialty teas year-round.
Harvest: Hand-picked, Songboling, small batch, summer 2024
Elevation: 400m
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This Black Tea made, from hand-picked, whole-leaf, naturally farmed Four Seasons Spring cultivar, offers a full-bodied, complex character of Black Tea. It has a bolder character than other small-leaf type Black Teas, yet with a complexity that clearly sets it apart from Black Teas produced from large-leaf Assam strains.
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This source of Four Seasons Spring Black Tea is distinctive for two main reasons. First, it is organically grown — without the use of chemical fertilizers which tend to produce a more "artificially enhanced flavor" in the tea leaves. When tea plants are fed more natural food, and the soil is encouraged to be more "alive" with its micro-biology, the plants offer a more natural character in the flavor profile of the brewed tea. Secondly, the Four Seasons Spring cultivar is by nature exceptionally fragrant, with pronounced floral notes — particularly when it is processed as a "green Oolong". This innate character of flavor profile comes through in the Black Tea made from this strain as well. It is more complex, sweeter and has a more readily received flavor. In other words, you don't need to be a connoisseur to appreciate it!
Our friend lives in the Songboling tea producing region, and his home factory is equipped for Black Tea processing, which was built by his grandfather, but was dormant for many years before this new development. He has repurposed his inherited factory for the production of naturally cultivated Black Tea from a nearby region. He processes his Black Tea himself, using his own factory, which reduces cost and allows him to market it at competitive prices. This also is the kind of sustainable business approach that we are committed to supporting in the local industry. His produce of "small leaf type" Oolong from his own organic farm is processed by a nearby modern tea factory designed to make Green Oolong, in the fashion of High Mountain Oolong.
Four Seasons Spring: A Taiwanese Breed
Around 1981, a Mu Zha tea farmer in Taipei County discovered a naturally occurring hybrid oolong in his tea garden that proved to be particularly suitable to the climate on Taiwan. Since then, it has gained popularity for its reliable produce and unique flavor and character. Now it is cultivated extensively as a signature oolong tea that is unique to the island of Taiwan. The name “Si Ji Chun” was chosen for the plant’s prolific year-round leaf growth, allowing for at least four harvests annually that produce a fresh, fragrant character of tea that is unique among oolongs.
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Brewing Guide: 6g tea in 300ml 90°C water. Steep for 2 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.
Gongfu Brew: Use 1g tea per 25mL 90-95°C water. First brew 50 seconds, second brew 40 seconds, third brew 50 seconds. Can be brewed 4 to 6 times.
