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New
Cedar Creek Classic, deep oxidation Taiwan oolong
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 25.00深造青 文火深焙 衫林溪紅水烏龍
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 衫林溪* 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 -
New
Misty Heights #8, Taiwan’s very own Assamica black tea
Black teas, Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Taiwan, Tea$ 23.40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
