The 300 years of tea production history in Taiwan maybe short relatively, but it has developed its rich and unique array of cultivars and processing styles. Famous tea areas here include Cold Peak, Wenshan, Alishan, Yuchi, etc. Read more at: Taiwan as a Tea Region
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Cedar Creek Classic, deep oxidation Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$25.0深造青 文火深焙 杉林溪紅水烏龍
Red Liquor Oolong
Other than the famous Oriental Beauty, there is another popular deep oxidation oolong in Taiwan. The locals call it Red Liquor Oolong — Hong Shui Wulong, referring to it being like hong cha, i.e. red tea ( aka black tea ). To include this variety in our collection, we have been screening sources from different parts of the Beautiful Island*, and concluded that the one from the scenic mountain of Da Lun Shan 大崙山 in Shan Lin Xi 杉林溪* by Master Chen has the highest potential. While some use the softer tasting Jinxuan or Four Season cultivars, Master Chen insists the use of the old Qing Xin from his 1500m altitude tea farm for its more complex taste profile after the long oxidation process. We do too. In addition to the oolong way* of deeper zao qing*, the real mastery is also in the baking. It is this precise heating that optimally caramelises and transforms the juice from the tightly rolled tea beads into the complexity in what the tea offers. We have aged it till all the elements are in place for the current uniquely enjoyable taste and aroma.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack -
Misty Heights #8, Taiwan’s very own Assamica black tea, 40 g
Black teas, Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Taiwan, TeaUS$23.4雲嶺八號、高海拔台版阿薩姆紅茶
Driving south towards Alishan from Yuchi*, the birthplace of black tea in Taiwan, along the mountainous road through emerald forests, in about two hours time one can stop by a scenic local hideouts: Yunling*. Here, Master Zheng moves naturally through his stepped tea garden on the slope at elevation 1300m, despite his rather round body. One large patch of his farm is populated with a locally improved version of the Indian tea cultivar Jaipuri*. The whole leaf black tea that that he produces using this plant tastes so smooth and delicate that one wonders why a similar thing isn’t found in Assam, where the origin tea cultivar was transplanted from back in 1923. Maybe it is the beautiful sceneries here, or maybe it is the specialist tea craft, or maybe it is the culture of Taiwan, or maybe a bit of everything, that turns this immigrant plant into this friendly, smooth and yet intricately complex black tea, Tea Hong’s Misty Heights #8, while remaining that uniquely engaging maltiness that makes an Assamica.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
GABA Bouquet, a special white tea, 40 g
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Organic teas, Taiwan, Tea, White teasUS$20.4天然培育 伽瑪芳香白茶
A very rare white tea
Mr Yu rarely wears shoes and walks in his little tea fields barefooted. He loves the contact with the soil that he keeps so naturally fertile, and uncontaminated. So much so that we smell the sweetness walking into his garden. He brews his own fertilisers and devises various ways of natural pest control. He is so into natural farming that a national university has setup quite a few joint projects with him. He totally worships Nature but his hobby is mechanical engineering. He proudly showed me the GABA deoxygenation tank that he modified and explained to me how it is better in processing the tea. Tea Hong’s GABA Bouquet is an invention by him. I have yet to find another tea with this kind of fruity bouquet, smoothness and even a good umami tone. He tried quite a few times before arriving at this distinctive taste quality. This is a rare batch and we can only restock when everything will work the same in the next production. It’s all dependent on Nature after all.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Wide kraft-alu pack -
North Peak, deep baked Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Warm Energy, Oolongs, Organic teas, Taiwan, TeaUS$25.1天然培育 深焙北山武夷烏龍
A Wuyi reborn in Taiwan
In Taiwan, besides the famous tea mountain of Dong Ding (Cold Peak), there are actually many other areas where the horticultural conditions are good for finer tea production. Such as the Bei Shan (i.e. North Peak) area that is has an 1,100m altitude and near the centre of the whole Taiwan Island, in Nantou County. The Tsai family does not have the resources to get an international organic certification, but they run the farm according to organic practices with the help of the local university, much like Master Yu who makes our GABA teas. Tea Hong’s North Peak is an oolong optimally deep baked for aroma and caramelisation. It is produced by the Tsai family using a Wuyi Shuixian cultivar that is localised and quite different from any Wuyi oolongs from Wuyi. You will find it softer and slightly sweeter. Interestingly, that is very much a Taiwan style, gentler in every way.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack -
Honey Concubine, medium deep baked Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$26.9私藏 文火深焙 蜜香貴妃
Guifei Oolong from Cold Peak
Guifei Oolong ( or Honey Concubine Tea, literally translated ) is a medium deep baked, medium oxidation ( 25 ~ 30% ) oolong produced from the Ruan Zhi cultivar in the Dong Ding ( Cold Peak ) area. It is different from the traditional Cold Peak oolong. The leaves of Guifei are bitten by green leafhoppers before plucking. The bug attack triggers a chain of biochemical reactions in the leaves that result in the complex honey notes that typify this tea. It was inspired by the way Oriental Beauty acquires its unique taste profile. However the two teas taste very differently through each’s own unique oolong processing approaches and pluck timing. The tea was invented after the devastation of an earthquake in September 1999, when the farmers had to create more revenue to rebuild their lost homes. «Read more» Baked to perfection by our producer the multiple award-winning tea master Chen Yu Wen, the current batch is certainly one of the best we have ever had from her. Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack
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Wenshan Paochong, light style Taiwan oolong, 40 g
Floral Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$21.8明前極品 文山包種
"Baozhong" from a true Taiwan master
Originally labelled as “Floral Aroma Tea”, today Paochong is produced in many parts of Taiwan and China, but that in the northern part of Taiwan around Taipei, where it made its name*, remains the most reputable. The highest quality is found in only a few small family farms where the traditional craft continues to pass on and evolve. Like that of Master Weng. Although his production management is certified as ISO22000, this 5th generation tea farmer insists that processing is an art and personally attends to all details of the workflow. That is probably why his farm has won in not only Paochong competitions but also a nationally awarded agricultural entity. Tea Hong is proud to present the best work of this highly devoted tea master. Likely to bring a much more joyous experience than any of what made the tea famous in the past centuries, for what the arts and science, love and sweats have accumulatively invested in its making.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Hong Yu Deep White, deep oxidation Taiwan white tea, 40 g
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Taiwan, Tea, White teasUS$23.5臺灣本土育種 深造青白茶紅玉
White tea with a twist
The very same cultivar which leaves that make the black tea, Fragrance of Taiwan — Red Jade — is employed to make this unique white tea. Where the black tea has an upfront distinctive character which tea novices may need time to grow into, the white tea version is a lot friendlier for understanding this wonderful camellia formosenisis species with. Hong Yu Deep White has the light and easy first impression like other white teas, but that will grow in your palate to the roundness of an aged black tea and the floral character of an oolong. An unmistakable gastronomical signature uniquely its own seamlessly holds all elements together as a continuum of olfactory-palatial sensation experience.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Snowy Egret, Taiwan green tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Taiwan, TeaUS$17.9鳳凰春茶 鴨屎香單欉
Bai Lu Green Tea
Most green tea varieties made in Taiwan are processed with an approach so minimalist that the quality of the harvest and the characteristics of the cultivar almost entirely dictate the resultant taste profile. Processing skills are needed there to optimise it but when the weather or harvesting condition are not good, there is not a lot one can do during processing to salvage the quality. In order to deliver the very best representation of what a premium Taiwan green tea can be, we have chosen a flavourful cultivar that many have used to produce black teas and Oriental Beauty with for our green tea: TTES#17*. Tea Hong’s Snowy Egret is made in a specially designated farm from only the first flush of Bai Lu and masterfully handmade by the farm’s owner. Still, a fine harvest like this one in offer cannot be taken for granted every year.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Winter Alishan Jinxuan, bouquet style Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Cold Energy, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$22.1阿里山冬茶 金萱烏龍
the oolong with an accent of milk
In the early 80’s when the tea was first available to the market, tea tasters described Jinxuan oolong as having an accent of milk. The simple remark has sparked waves of imitation products, all involving adding flavouring. This continues until today. Jinxuan maybe one of the more popular cultivars in Taiwan, but it takes mastery to harvest and process it properly for that natural and slight “milk” accents, and all the other finer tea qualities. Tea Hong’s Alishan Jinxuan is just that. Non-blended first flush superbly produced to the same balance as Prof Wu Zhenduo* had originally intended it to be. As the same cleansing, soft taste profile that made it famous in the beginning. Nothing added, purely as we have always like our tea to be.
Net weight: 70 g (2.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Cold Dew Alishan, bouquet Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$32.0阿里山 寒露青心
Winter Chin-shin Oolong
In subtropical Taiwan, the intense humidity that creates the misty atmosphere of Alishan — the tallest mountain in the island nation — dissipates partially when the chill of late Autumn sets in. In October, the sky stays clearer for longer. Little leaves that spout during this time have amply stored up for the few drier months ahead. These are great conditions for oolong harvest and processing. Presenting Cold Dew1 Alishan, masterfully rebaked from the premium Autumn harvest of Chin-shin tea trees. Oolongs made from this quintessential Taiwan wulong cultivar have a few times more teaghrelin2 than any others3, though we hope you buy it more for the great taste of this archetypical Taiwan premium oolong.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Red Jade, Taiwan TTES#18 black tea, 40 g
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Taiwan, TeaUS$25.8特級臺灣香 魚池紅玉
Fragrance of Taiwan:
Deep in the mountains away from the tourist infested Sun Moon Lake, small tea bushes tidily populate small patches of land between tall pines, wild trees and steep slopes. A cross between Burma and a native wild tea, this Hong Yu cultivar, born right here in Yu Chi in 1999, shines with a vibrant deep green. It dominates the ambience with a smell that is both fresh and spicy. Farmers here still process black tea in small batches in the old fashioned way, though with the aid of a few new technologies for monitoring. Red Jade — the Fragrance of Taiwan — has to be so processed to that distinctive floral yet spicy aroma, minty and complex taste on a smooth body to be worthy of name. Read more: What really is a gongfu black tea?
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Oriental Beauty, deep oxidation Taiwan oolong, 50 g
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$29.9正宗深造青白毫烏龍 珍品東方美人
Dongfang Meiren
To experience why this unique Taiwan white tip oolong was nicknamed Oriental Beauty by Queen Elizabeth II, you have to taste the real thing. It is perhaps the most demanding tea to process well. Harvested only once a year in summer and after the young leaves of the Qingxin Damao cultivar are bitten by a kind of tiny leafhopper«read more here», genuine Dongfang Meiren can attain its special taste profile only after following the oolong processing routine modified especially for this tea. Tea Hong’s Phong-hong tè — the original name of Oriental Beauty — is a prime selection from the origin in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 50 g ( 1.8 oz ) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Alishan Guanyin, deep baked Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$28.8阿里山 細火慢焙 正欉觀音
Slow Baked Tieguanyin:
Over a century of development since transplanting to Taiwan, tieguanyin produced in the emerald island is quite different from its cousin in Mainland China. Not only has the cultivar evolved differently, but also the more authentic technique with which it is produced. Tea Hong’s Alishan Guanyin has a fuller and smoother taste profile. Its distinction is possible through the finesse in its slow baking. Master Chen, who bakes also our Cold Peak, has elevated the processing into an art of leaves and fire.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
GABA Orange Extra, de-oxygenised oxidation Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$28.8精選南投 橙韻伽瑪烏龍
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Enriched
There maybe a few other options of GABA tea out there, but to produce one that is fine tasting as well as organic requires real experience, dedication and stringent process management. Presenting GABA Orange from Nantou, Taiwan. Our answer to those of you wanting naturally formed GABA from a nice tasting oolong, with that touch of orange wonderfully developed in the tealeaves themselves. Nature always has surprises for us. We just have to work with it to make it happen. ( What is GABA? )
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
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Cold Peak, matured Taiwan oolong, 70 g
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$28.9台灣傳統烏龍 陳年 文火凍頂
Dong Ding Classic:
The traditional style of baking Taiwan oolong is a vanishing art. That is one reason older connoisseurs are saying tea is not tasting like it used to. Indeed not many tea practitioners are doing it. One of them is Yu Wen, one of our Taiwan farmers. She is dedicated to bringing that heritage back in vogue. Taiwan oolong properly baked is healthier and friendlier to the stomach for everyone after all, and used to be what makes Cold Peak — Dong Ding — the quintessential Taiwan oolong — soft, sweet and with a warm, nectarous aroma. We proudly present to you this Taiwan wonder optimally matured for enjoyment anytime upon delivery. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Eternal Spring, floral winter oolong, 70 g
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaUS$22.8霜降芳翠 獨家製清香烏龍
Tea Hong's specially made Taiwan oolong
Winter harvest Taiwan oolongs have always been prized for crispier floral fragrance, as in the case of autumn Minnan Tieguanyins, except that Taiwan ones generally have softer bodies and aromas. While maintaining these characters, Tea Hong’s Eternal Spring excels with an exceptionally green freshness and yet a fine oolong sweetness. A taste profile most friendly for oolong rookies and yet with such unique quality that can complement any serious connoisseur’s collection. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack