Alishan, Spring 2012

Hand-gathered in late April 2012 at 1600 meters above sea level, our Alishan oolong comes from a garden that has provided us with tea for the past seven years. It’s a garden that for the past few years have won repeated accolades for the quality and character of its tea. Their harvest season spans twelve days, and during that time, tea-picking, oxidation, roasting and rolling occurs around the clock. Each step in the process is mindfully controlled to ensure that the tea is crafted to optimize its aroma, taste and finish.

This year’s harvest season was marked by days of heavy rain interspersed with unseasonably warm days. The result was a significantly lower quantity of tea picked, but skilled craftsmanship turned that small amount into an exceptional wonderful tea. This batch counts as one of the best we’ve tasted – intensely flavorful and aromatic, without sacrificing mouth feel or sweetness.

High elevation oolongs from Alishan usually carry notes of citrus and apples, akin to baked apples or apple sauce, with a hint of orange zest and a persistent finish of flowers and sweet cream.

2 Tasting Notes

Rumpus Parable

I received this as a sample, yay!

I tend to find most oblongs rather light in flavor, in my sense of taste. This one is strong. I don’t get the apple and such flavors that are in the description. Rather, it’s Very flower to me. With a vegetal undertone. But the flower flavor is almost overwhelming in the mouth and back of throat, both. It’s almost like drinking perfume or smelling one that passes the nose in its strength and comes right down into your throat to settle. It’s not bad tasting, just very, very strong. If you like very strong floral flavors, I’d suggest this tea!

It’s a nice change up from other oblongs I’ve had. I’m enjoying the cup but wouldn’t buy. I’m glad I did get the sample and experienced it.

2012-09-15 20:54:17 -0400

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CharlotteZero

This is another sample that came with an online purchase. The first time I tried this tea I also did not taste apples/applesauce the company’s website speaks of, but this time, on the second steeping I did. It was not the juicy tart flavor of fresh apples, but the flavor of peeled and cooked apples. Interesting! It has strong floral vegetal notes, none that I found unpleasant or too strong. A very nice tea.

2013-01-28 21:10:03 -0500

195 °F / 90 °C

0 min 30 sec

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