From tea tasting 7/3/11. Lori, Sue, Matt, Andrew, Chris
Honey, peach, vegetal, ends musky
Fu Shou Shan
Oolong Tea by Red Blossom Tea Company
At 2600 meters above sea leavel, Fu Shou Shan is the second highest peak in the Lishan Range, exceeding Lishan (for which the mountain range is named) by almost 400 meters.
Because of its higher elevation and more northerly latitude, Fu Shou Shan’s harvest begins much later than most Formosa oolongs. At that elevation, strong but short sun exposure in the morning produces intense flavor compounds, while cooler mist-enshrouded afternoons allow the plant to store those compounds.
The result is an incredibly flavorful and complex tea with an amazing degree of balance and restraint, with absolutely no astringency or bitterness. An initial brew delivers aromatic notes of sugarcane and grass. Subsequent brews reveal more complex floral and citrus notes that bring to mind grapefruit, oranges and apples.
