“I’m thankful that my taste buds have finally sorted themselves out after my cold, I really missed writing and sampling teas. I found this tea to be unusual and I love black teas so that was my...” Read full tasting note
“Backlog: Looks like an Oolong. Even the name made me think that this was an Oolong (until I got to the “black tea” part!) This brews to a lighter color than a typical black tea. It’s more like a...” Read full tasting note
“I almost didn’t get a tea review written today, I spent most the day in a state of brain fog making most of my attempts to communicate a garbled mess. Many cups of tea, a hearty serving of beans...” Read full tasting note
“Sipdown 5 of 2016. Sample. Received 1/2014 – Finished 1/2016. Brewing this gongfu this afternoon. I am getting more sweetness out of it this afternoon. A delightful cup. If this accident of...” Read full tasting note
This tea is an anomaly – as it is the unorthodox result of an oversight.
When the leaves were undergoing indoor oxidation, they were inadvertently left on the top rack – high above eye level. They were discovered the next morning, after they had oxidized to a level nearing that of red (black) tea – probably about 75%. From this point the tea master had to improvise his method in completing the processing of this small batch of “forgotten” tea leaves. This farm has consistently been the source of prize winning tea in Taiwan’s largest tea competitions due to the expertise of its proprietor. Eco-Cha procured the entire batch of this “forgotten tea” because we knew upon the first sip that it was special. A winter crop of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Tea grown at 1500m elevation that was mistakenly made into a red oolong or black tea is definitively a rare batch of tea.
Flavor: Freshly cut fruit wood aroma with a hint of spearmint. Soothing notes of cinnamon, vanilla, rose, and a touch of savory.
Garden: This farm is owned and operated by a prominent tea artisan with several decades of experience in tea cultivation. He has been awarded champion of the most prestigious Oolong Tea competition in the world which is held at the Lu Gu Farmers’ Association. Nevertheless, his humble character allows us to sit and chat with him in his modest first generation tea factory on a regular basis. The tea garden is cultivated without any chemical weed killers or fertilizers, and only minimal use of water soluble pesticides early in the growing season.
Harvest: Harvest: Hand picked. Singular batch. Winter 2012.
Elevation: 1500m
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