Notes of caramelized ginger, kettle corn, and cotton candy.

Oolong tea from Taiwan・January 2021・杉林溪不知春・Unsprayed

Our Shan Lin Xi Winter Sprout is only available when weather conditions are ideal. The current stock was picked in January 2021. Low temperatures at the start of the year trigger a weather hardening of these tea leaves that increases sugar and nutrient storage.

There are several names for this tea. Winter Sprout is dong pian in Chinese. The locals also like to call this bu zhi chun, which translates poetically to “never know spring,” a reference to tea leaves harvested before the arrival of warmer weather.

The source garden is on Shan Lin Xi, located 1500m above sea level. The harvested tea consist of single or paired leaves that have sprouted in several areas along the upper branches, which renders them distinctly different in appearance from standard spring or winter harvest teas. After shade withering, crafting is done entirely by hand – the leaves are bruised on woven bamboo trays, allowed a long, 40+ hour low-temperature oxidation, then rolled in small batches inside canvas bags, and roasted. Finally, the tea is baked at a low temperature to decrease moisture content and enhance sweetness and complexity. This 2021 reverts to the tightly rolled version we offered in 2019.

The unique flavor profile of Shan Lin Xi Winter Sprout comes from a combination of the harvest time and craftsmanship. The tea maker accentuates the accumulated flavor and aromatic compounds of the tea with unusually long oxidation and baking times. The result is altogether unique, and delicious.

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