This is a high mountain oolong from Taiwan. It comes from Chilaishan at an elevation of 1900m. It is a unique tea because the tea garden was abandoned for a few years. Before it was producing commercial tea through conventional agriculture, including the use of pesticides and fertilisers. When farmers convert to organic agriculture, they need to leave their land for impurification for a few years. For instance, the waiting time is four years in Turkey, and only after that, a farmer may receive an organic production certification.
So, this tea was the first batch after a year of non-production. The soil had rested and produced this flavoursome oolong. This tea had excellent reviews. When I steeped it, I liked it. It carried fine characteristics of a high mountain oolong, but somehow it was not had the finesse some others had. For instance, I enjoyed this one more. The comparison is meaningful because both teas are made from the same cultivar, which is QinXin. They are both from the same area, Nantou, in Taiwan and their elevations are also similar around 1800-1900 meters. The Shanlinxi oolong had more floral and delicate aromas, and mellower taste despite being a winter tea. While this spring Chilaishan oolong had something stubborn about it. Maybe it is the age (more than 2 years old when I tasted it). It was not as light as I desired it to be. But it is still much more delicate than mainly mediocre stuff you can find around.
Tea Profile:
Type: Oolong
Origin: Chilaishan, Nantou, Taiwan
Harvest time: Spring 2018
Leaf colour: Tones of green and brown
Liquor colour: Dark yellow/light amber
Tea Aroma: Light floral
Tea taste: Refreshing, slightly sweet and floral
Steeping/brewing: Place 6 g tea leaves in 100 ml water at around 95°C. Steep for 5 seconds. To each consecutive infusion, add 5 seconds. You can infuse the leaves up to six or seven times.