Shan Lin Xi, light style Taiwan oolong
USD 15.70
From the Stream of Cypress Woods
To most people, teas from Taiwan are synonymous with high mountain oolongs. Officially, these are the four top subregions for the tea: Alishan, Shan Lin Xi, Li Shan, and Yu Shan. We already carry quite a few Alishan’s, to find one from the others, we have been relentlessly searching. It has to be one comparable to those from Alishan but individualistic enough.
Shan Lin Xi — literally Stream of Cypress Woods — is an area deep in a national reserve in the mountainous central area of the island country. Two hour driving from the station in the small city of Chia Yi, you will have climbed 1000m on the curvy roads deep in the sparse village areas with dense tall trees and quite many degrees lower than down there. Tea patches are hidden here and there amongst forests, occasional clusters of bamboos and a great diversity of wild plants.
The same Chin Hsin Gan Chi cultivar grown here yields leaves that seem to have acquired a different character, a somehow lighter yet more complex, more stimulating tinkle. Previously when I was still operating a teahouse, some customers came to do Zen with tea as the medium. I guess this Shan Lin Xi Oolong can be one for it too.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Handy alu-bag
In stock
明前特選 杉林溪烏龍
Taste profile
Warm, yet light aroma akin to steamed rice from afar, tinted with the blooming of chrysanthemum morifolium and a very light touch of honey and rosemary. Cleansing, lively body with a lighter, less demanding character on a silky texture. Initial clean aftertaste, with late onset yet lingering sweetness.
Infusion tips
This oolong can manifest to become quite widely different characters. Higher heat, as much as near boiling, yields a stronger backbone with more prominent astringency. Tone it down to 90°C, the tea can be silky soft. Give it a higher leaf to water ratio, a velvety mouth feel. The taste experience from one of the Taiwan top four high mountain oolongs is worth experimenting with.
Additional information
| Weight | 150 g |
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| Dimensions | 18 × 9 × 5 cm |
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Reviews(1)
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Sacred Lily, Wuyi yancha oolong
Home, Tea, Oolongs, Wuyi-shan, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool EnergyPrime of Wuyi Pedigrees:
Through years of researches a fine cultivar carrying the best traits of all the finest Wuyi natural cultivars is now mature and producing. Introducing Tea Hong’s Sacred Lily. Perhaps the most beautiful of all Wuyi oolongs. Grown deep in the steep mountains away from the touristy spots and masterfully processed for subtlety, complexity, and smoothness in taste. A tea that no true oolong connoisseur should miss. |
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Tieguanyin Floral, bouquet oolong
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While some people like their Tieguanyin subtle and long like it used to be traditionally, some others want it to be more floral. So we give you Tieguanyin Floral, a very bouquet version of this popular oolong. The cultivar is Jin Guanyin ( aka Golden Tieguanyin ), a child between the traditional Tieguanyin plant and a relatively newer bleed, Huangjin Gui *. While the latter is widely used as a substitute for the genuine Tieguanyin for its pleasing nose, it lacks the body and length of the real thing. The resultant hybrid, however, has the best of both parents. The terroir is in Xianghua, a mountainous area in the Anxi county in the subtropical southern part of Fujian, where the best Tieguanyin is produced.
Net weight: 120 g (4.2 oz) in Kraft-alu pack 
Black Leaf Special, Phoenix dancong oolong
Home, Tea, Oolongs, Fenghuang ( Phoenix ), Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Cool EnergyFenghuang Da Wuye:
If classic Phoenix oolongs are too sweet, and bouquet ones too florally aromatic for you, Tea Hong’s Black Leaf Special maybe your cup of tea. It is produced from a new cultivar developed for maltiness and complexity in taste. A very different oolong from the rest. Our special selection is harvested from higher altitudes near the oolong mecca that is Wudong.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack 
Big White, Phoenix dancong oolong
Home, Tea, Oolongs, Fenghuang ( Phoenix ), Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool EnergyFenghuang Da Baiye:
Produced using a Phoenix native cultivar Da Baiye ( i.e. Big White Leaf ), and has certain taste similarity as the rarer Song Cultivar Huangzhi Xiang, this tea is popular amongst traders for use as a substitute for the pricier label. Tea Hong’s top quality selection, Big White is certainly a good demonstration of how this tea can fool the lesser experienced connoisseurs. That said, however, the trained tongue can certainly tell it is a fine tea on its own for the uniqueness in its floral aroma, silky texture and soft, smooth body.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
This is among the best Shan Lin Xi I’ve ever had. I’m not a connoisseur of Taiwanese oolongs to nearly the same extent that I am a fanatic for Fenghuang oolong, but I’ve been around the block many times and sampled all kinds of Shan Lin Xi with price points from $0.10/g to beyond $1.00/g – and I must say, without a doubt, this is top-tier quality at a price point that makes it a no-brainer.
Even the most die-hard aficionados of Taiwanese oolongs could comfortably keep some of Tea Hong’s Shan Lin Xi in their stash.
The flavor profile is exquisite, it oozes sweet and creamy overtones reminiscent of cinnamon-infused rice milk or coconut milk, with gentle herbaceous accents that remind me of rosemary or pine needles. It’s consistent all the way through and the aftertaste lingers persistently.
This really hits the spot, it’s complex enough to impress those who are new to Taiwanese oolongs, as well as satisfy even the most discerning aficionados who want a great price to quality ratio daily-drinker that does not sacrifice quality in the cup.