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“A teapot time. I have used all 8 grams received from Derk in the session today morning and in the teapot; to share this tea with other family members. Thank you derk! I have used 90°C water and...” Read full tasting note
Notes of purple rice, bing cherry, and camellia flower.
Oolong from Taiwan・April 2022・陳家新茶園烏龍, 輕火・Unsprayed / Semi-wild
We’ve worked alongside the Chen family for many years, following them from garden to garden across Taiwan as they adapt to the changing landscape of tea growing. They took over stewardship of their latest garden in 2021, on a plot of land many contract pickers refuse to visit. Here, the landscape serves as a challenge for cultivation, relying on near-acrobatic feats to maneuver across the small, steep plot on the slopes of Zhushan, in Nantou county, Taiwan.
The plants in Mr. and Mrs. Chen’s New Garden are truly ye fang, grown with almost no human intervention. The grove is not irrigated, fertilized, or manicured, relying entirely on the natural resources of the mountain for its success. Here the roots are free to burrow deep into the soil, leaves are peppered with bug bites (a surprisingly positive quality for a tea tree, the plant sends additional sugars to the bitten leaves to form calluses on the bites, increasing the sweetness of the harvested leaves), and fertilization, sunlight, and climate are controlled by the canopy of larger trees that shade the grove, and create natural mulch for the soil below.
As a result of these conditions, the annual yield is quite scant, but what this grove does produce is quite wonderful, and the rustic nature of this tea lends perfectly to traditional crafting. We took the finished tea to Mr. Li, one of the last traditional charcoal roasters remaining in Taiwan. He gave this 2022 harvest the lightest of roasts over open charcoal pits. The subtly of his work serves to highlight the innate character of the Chen’s wild garden, giving just enough heat to concentrate and enhance the floral aromatics of the tea. Brewed, it releases notes of purple rice, bing cherry, and camellia flower.
For a more comprehensive picture of charcoal roasting’s range, check out The Chens’ New Garden, Medium Roast.
Brew: 6 grams・150 ml・208° F・2 min
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A teapot time.
I have used all 8 grams received from Derk in the session today morning and in the teapot; to share this tea with other family members. Thank you derk!
I have used 90°C water and steeped for 3 minutes. After we have finished first session, I decided to brew myself second session and steeped again for 3 minutes. There is no lose in the flavours and the leaves were almost lifting up the lid of the pot. I am sure there would be more steeps possible, but I haven’t made them.
I find this tea rather hard to describe. It is a wonderful and very, very complex tea with aroma of florals, herbals, and tropical fruits. Very ripe mango and bananas, in my opinon; combined with some, a little savoury, herbs. I wasn’t able to point out them, but then I read the description for medium roast version and I am pretty sure it is galangal, something I tried during the advent season for (probably) very first time. It was kind of spicy, but not fiery… rather piney as derk notices there.
There is an extremely long aftertaste, and overall high enjoyment of the tea not only from me, but also family members. As my mom described: “Delicate and mellow, with full of flavour.” When I examined the steeped leaves, I could show them the bugbitten leaves and explained them how it contributes to the taste and… yep I liked it very much because of it too. It has got a sweet finish, mouthcoating qualities and if there is something I am sad about, it’s that I will hardly try this tea again.
Of course, I am sure Song Tea would send me some, even they don’t specify shipping on their website; but to be honest, it is kind of expensive for me.
Wow! This sounds like quite the tea! Bug-bitten, rugged mountain garden too steep for commercial picking, AND galangal! Thanks for the tasting notes!
I’m not sure if this is the Dong Ding that Derk sent me a while ago, but if so, I also loved it! Since receiving three samples of Song teas from Derk, I’ve been contemplating ordering from this company. A Different Eighteen is still easily the best Ruby 18 I’ve had.
The best Ruby 18? Now I am very intrigued!
It’s called A Different Eighteen and is apparently charcoal roasted. It’s fruity, chocolatey, minty, balanced, and sweet, without the tannins that usually push me away from this type of tea. Truly worth the $1/g they’re charging for it. Is it worth an extra $25 to ship to Canada? I’ve been thinking about it for about a year, so yes, it probably is.
TeaEarleGreyHot: it is indeed the tea. I like the back-story too! And galangal flavour seems to be a new favorite to me.
Leafhopper: Based on the tasting notes, you had the medium roast version, but it definitely doesn’t mean you didn’t had this one. I have also A Different Eighteen and I can’t wait to try it out. And yep, those teas seems to be so unique to try, even that expensive. But of course, I am trying to be a little more restraint than you.
ashmanra: I am not surprised :D
You’re right, I did have the medium roast. Another fantastic tea! Song is definitely a splurge, especially with international shipping.