My Shenzhen Expo tea adventures continue. This one is a bit of a mystery tea which I got to taste by chance. All I know is that it is a high mountain tea from Taiwan, and it has been aged for 30 years. Then, I know the taste, and I can tell you it is undoubtedly one of the most memorable teas I have ever tested.
I can also tell you about the price. 50 g of this tea costs 1000 RMB (around 300 USD). It was certainly out of my budget range, but I was happy to be sitting to a Chinese customer who fell in love with tea and bought the whole stock. The seller, therefore, was very generous and offered us this and some other high mountain teas.
But its taste was exceptional. If this was given to me cold, I could have mistaken with a fruit juice. It was that sweet! Apart from red fruits, the aroma also reminded me of a highly aromatic melon. I tasted spices and cloves, but overall there was a sweet hui gan. The layers of aromas and flavours were so complex and stunning. It was a unique experience that I'll never forget, and you never know one day I may afford it!
I was researching about aged oolong tea from Taiwan, and some of them mention 're-roasting' regularly to preserve the tea's aromas. This was undoubtedly a mid-high level roast (or because of the aged I felt that way). It would have been good to find out whether the master re-roasts it and if so, how often.
Tea profile:
Type: Oolong
Origin: Taiwan Harvest time: 1990
Leaf colour: Dark brown ball shaped leaves Liquor colour: Vibrant orange
Tea Aroma: Fruity and spicy
Tea Taste: Very sweet with a thick liquor and a fruity hui gan
Steeping: Place about 8 g of this tea in a gaiwan or teapot and add hot water around 100°C. After rinsing the leaves, you can steep for 10 seconds and add 10 second to each consecutive steeping. You can re-steep this tea multiple times.
Shelf life: Can be aged (but may need regular roasting)
Comentários