2021 Spring Jinxuan Oolong from Ali Shan
Cultivar: Jinxuan Oolong
Harvested by hand: March 29th, 2021
Origin: RuiFeng, Ali Shan (1200 m)
Process: Light oxidized, rolled.
1. View
The dry leaves are rather small, tighly rolled with few stems, and they come in dark green or light yellow green hues. The brew has a very good transparency and light yellow color. The size of the open leaves and buds confirms that they come from a high elevation.
2. Scents
The dry leaves have a very fine scent of spring flowers and freshly cut grass. The dry notes are high and slightly milky sweet. The brew has flower and pineapple scents.
3. Taste
The taste is mellow and zesty. The sweetness is very good and there's no astringency or bitterness in competition testing mode. But there's a nice lingering taste on the palate. Brewing tip: This rolled Oolong needs not just boiling water to open up, it also requires a thorough preheating of the tea vessel (porcelain or gaiwan). Wait 1 minute or a little more for the first brew.
Conclusion: The Jinxuan cultivar was created in 1981 by Dr. Wu Zhen Duo. Its experimental code was 2027 and it was released as Taiwan Tea Experiment Station (TTES) No 12. The name Jinxuan is the first name of Dr. Wu's grandmother! He created this cultivar to help farmers increase their yields so that they could produce a good quality and fairly priced light oxidized Oolong. Its elegant fresh scents and lack of bitterness (when processed well!) makes this a great choice for an everyday mountain Oolong. It is the best value to start exploring the fresh world of High Mountain Oolongs.