“My version of this tea is from 2021. I bought it because the vendor said it was fruity, but I couldn’t dial in the steeping parameters and ended up letting the rest of it sit in a drawer for three...” Read full tasting note
“2021 Version from Leafhopper. I made a few mistakes on this one. I really wanted to try it from floating leaves with the promise of a fruity oolong. Making it, it’s fussy. The realy rinse produced...” Read full tasting note
“10 second rinse 30 second steep 45 second steep brewed in oolong seasoned yixing teapot the first steep was very mild, but tasty. it was difficult to discern notes that described the experience as...” Read full tasting note
Story
This tea comes from a medium sized garden near the indigenous Atayal people’s village Smangus, a remote village in Northern Taiwan known for virgin old growth forests and ancient cypress trees. Not many farmers are growing tea up there, and this specific garden is newly planted. Beautiful ecology, with lots of wild animals and plants around the tea bushes. Roughly located at 1500 meters. The ‘sea of clouds’ and mountain mist are beautiful in the morning.
We originally called this tea ‘Traditional High Mountain’ because it was processed a bit darker, like the tea in Dong Ding or how High Mountain oolong used to be before the tea was as green as it is today. Actually high mountain oolong was first pursued by farmers from Dong Ding, when they visited Alishan and realized the weather was suitable for making Dong Ding style oolong.
This kind of tea is harder to find these days, because most farmers find it more profitable to make the greener version of high mountain. Because the fragrance of those teas are more flashy and floral, they grab the attention easily. Tea like this, however, trades some of the bright tones for a rich, thick broth.
Description
So far, this Diva tea from the Smangus area has a lot of mango notes in the terroir every season, and this is no exception. Notes are fruit forward.
This is the most heavily oxidized Taiwanese high mountain oolong we’ve ever carried! Because of that, the broth is thick and oily in the mouth. This season, the first note I noticed was blackberry, but there’s still mango, guava and some rose tones.
Amazingly smooth presentation, this tea maker’s skills are superb. This year, the grower invited his friend, a decorated Dong Ding competition winner, to process this particular day’s harvest. Nothing sticks out, all the notes are incredibly well integrated, flowing beautifully into each other.
This is not your standard, green and floral tasting high mountain oolong. It is rich, thick and satisfyingly juicy. This is a great option if you want to try something new and unique.
Facts
Harvest Location : Smangus, Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan
Harvest Date : November 2022
Cultivar : Qing Xin Oolong
Farming Method : Conventional
Altitude : 1500 meters
Company description not available.