AliShan Oolong Spring 2021

AliShan is a mountainous region that has been gaining a lot of attention in Taiwan the last few decades as a land that consistently produces quality oolong. Finding the perfect spot to plant tea is an endeavor: the elevation, exposure to sunlight, yearly average weather patterns, the condition of the soil, and a dozen other intangible factors all affect the garden's potential to yield exceptional leaf.  Take a sip of this tea and we think you will agree that AliShan has that special quality.

Some gardens choose high yield tea cultivars to maximize harvests on the limited arable land area, but we've decided to aim higher and set down QingXing plants; these are prized among drinkers for their bold and nuanced flavor,  and notorious among growers as a fickle leaf that is slow to mature and vulnerable to the elements.

AliShan Spring 2021 is a complex tea, floral and verdant. The best feature of this tea is the body, we found the liquor pleasantly round and thick. The palate has notes of wisteria and honeysuckle, sweet smelling flowers. We did detect a hint of astringency if this oolong is brewed with higher temperature waters for too long. Therefore, we do consider this tea an improvement over the previous AliShan harvest, with a caveat. It does require a bit more care in the steeping process to bring out the best flavors.  When in doubt, use lower temperature water!

Steeping Instructions:

Prepare 3 grams of tea leaf (slightly less than a teaspoon) per 100ml of water(about half a cup).

For the first two steeps, 90°c water for no longer than 60 seconds will provide plenty of flavor.  From the third steep onward it is fine to add up to thirty additional seconds per steep. This should provide between four and six re-steeps depending on the quality of the tea.  For larger vessels (teapots of over 500ml) re-steep potential is usually lower.