A rare summer tea with a distinct natural character brought on by the green leafhopper, ensuring no two batches are the same. A beautiful combination of high mountain oolong and Oriental Beauty (Bai Hao) to tempt your palate.
Flavour
Stewed fruit, roasted nuts, smoky, honey and cinnamon
Harvest
Qing Xin (Green Heart) cultivar
Harvest date: 29 June 2019
Roasting date: 2 June 2021
Processing
Oxidation starts when leaves are bitten by the green leafhopper; 35% oxidation; Medium roasting
Elevation
1,200 metres
Although the harvested leaves have also been bitten by the same insect that is responsible for making the renowned Oriental Beauty, this Alishan High Mountain oolong has a unique flavour profile and is in a class of its own.
Hand-picked in small batches the tea has a medium roasting level to bring out the full-bodied flavour. Roasted nuts and a sweet/savoury flavour with wild honey come out when aerating and coats your palate with a hint of wood, stewed fruit, smokiness and spice (cinnamon).
Because each leaf is affected differently by the leafhopper, subtle variations can be detected in each brew, which give this Alishan oolong its unique and complex flavour.
This tea deserves to be enjoyed on its own but if you’re looking for something to complement the flavours, go light with a summer arugula salad topped with grilled chicken breast and thinly sliced fresh apricots.
3g per 250 mls (1 cup)
First infusion: rinse leaves with 90oC water for 10 seconds and discard water; infuse for 3 minutes at 90oC
Additional infusion: gradually increase steeping time for second infusion.
7g (2 tsps) in 100ml Gaiwan
First infusion: rinse leaves with 90oC water for 10 seconds and discard water; infuse 20-30 seconds at 90oC
Second and third infusions: infuse 20-30 seconds at 90oC
Additional infusions: double infusion time with each additional infusion
3g per 250mls (1 cup) of room temperature water
Brew in a tea flask at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Taste as it's brewing and strain the tea when you like the flavours.
This high mountain oolong is produced at an altitude of 1,200 metres above sea level in Alishan, one of the most famous tea growing regions in Taiwan. Alishan is known for having warm temperatures in a subtropical yet mountainous region with a continual mist that causes the plants to grow slowly because of the abundant cloud cover and reduced exposure to sunlight, thus producing tea leaves with intense flavours and aromas.
This tea is harvested when the green leafhoppers are at their peak. Depending on the actions of an insect means that, in some years, the farm is not affected at all and they’re unable to make this tea. When the bugs bite the leaves the plant’s immune system responds and partial oxidation of the tea leaves begins.
The nutrient rich soil and high elevation limits unwanted pests and chemical fertilizers are not used, which is in keeping with the tea farmer’s traditional tribal culture and spirit of purity, simplicity, community and respect of nature. The term “eco’ is used to indicate the farm was in conversion to organic when harvested.
The dense surrounding forest and nutrient rich soil are all part of this unique terroir that produces some of the best oolongs in the world.
