***Back in stock, our fresh winter batch, harvested in late November 2009. Exquisite! Very limited.***
One of our Artisan Reserve organic oolong teas, a line of small batch handmade teas from a craft handed down over generations. Hand selected for having all the hallmark qualities of the highest grades with noteable personality accents.
This is the prized winter harvest from November2009.
This is a true Alishan High Mountain tea I obtained from grower Charlees in Shizhuo, Taiwan.
Charlees said that this tea was picked on Nov 22nd and finished on Nov 23rd, then he baked the tea for about 2 hours and packed it after cooling on Nov 25th.
His tea bushes are "soft-stem oolong"* (old-school, better flavor plants), and were planted by his father 24 years ago.
This batch is really small. So get it while you can.
So how does it taste? The tea exceeded your expectations with its heady fruit-sugar aroma and notes of apple, tangerine rind and pine needle. It has a thick smooth body, lingering sweetness, and a touch of mellow comfortable roasting.
My other impressions of this lovely tea are a complex sugar-ness, like a packet of dried tropical fruits, with notable pineapple accents. Long smooth finish, rich mouth-feel, and a nice sense of movement on the tongue and palate. Definitely an uplifting and soaring feeling when drinking this tea.
*Soft-stem organic oolong is the original oolong species introduced to Taiwan from Fujian, China in the mid 19th century. Today, only a few farmers still grow soft-stem oolong out of nostalgia or special orders from clients. Many tea farmers have moved to heartier varietals such as qingxin (青心)，jinxuen (金萱)，or four seasons (四季).
Grown sustainably without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
AKA Alishan, High mountain oolong.
Water: 195°F | Leaves: 1.5 -2 teaspoons per 6 ounce cup | Infusion Time: 3-4 minutes
Basic Steeping Tips
- Use filtered or spring water, whenever possible
- Don’t over-boil water
- Remove leaves after recommended time (adjust to taste)
- If you want stronger tea, use more leaves instead of steeping for a longer time.
Leaves can be re-steeped 2-3 times resulting in various flavor differences. Don’t throw out those leaves until they have given it all up!
Polyphenol in oolong tea is effective in controlling weight. It activates the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving triglycerides. Studies have confirmed that a 2-3 cup per day intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the function of fat metabolism and controlling obesity.
The history of tea in China is long and complex. The Chinese have enjoyed tea for millennia. Scholars hailed the brew as a cure for a variety of ailments; the nobility considered the consumption of good tea as a mark of their status, and the common people simply enjoyed its flavor.
Tea was first discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) was born.
