This is one of those teas that will make you pause and marvel at the incredible beauty and diversity of the tea plant and tea making artistry.
It is a relatively new tea in the pantheon of Taiwanese teas. It comes from a cultivar created by the Taiwan Research (TRES) in 1980 or 1981 called Taicha #12. Also known as golden lily or jinxuan (pronounced jinshuan), this cultivar was developed as a good mid-altitude tea (1200 to 1600 feet above sea level) that is resistant to insect damage. The leaves are heart shaped and thicker than most tea leaves.
The truly marvelous thing about this tea is that, when growing conditions are good and the tea maker is talented, a naturally occurring sweet, creamy flavor develops. There is no dairy or flavoring added to this tea, but you will be bowled over by the distinct notes of sweet cream in this tea.