Cultivar: Qingxin (ruanzhi) Oolong

Harvested by hand: May 1st, 2024

Origin: Chang Shu Hu, Ali Shan (1400m)

Process: Lightly oxidized and rolled Oolong.

1. The view

Dry: Dark green leaves and yellow stems. The brew's color is a bright, light and shiny yellow. It has a very good transparency. The open leaves are dark green, a sign that they've received plenty of sunshine. We can see red signs of light oxidation on the edges of the leaves.

2. The scents

The dry floral scent are clean, light, fresh and buttery. The brew is a bouquet of lavender flowers and light fruity notes (papaya).

3. The taste

Clean, sweet and fresh. The taste has a fine, sweet and pure aftertaste.

Conclusion: this tea comes from the highest plantation in the area. I met the farmer 2 years ago during the shooting of a TV documentary about Alishan by TF1 (France's largest TV station). It was end of July and all the plantations were deserted. But he was in his plantation, working with his son in law, removing weed by hand! It was a chance encounter and, indeed, his tea fields are very naturally tended. His organic methods produce a wonderful clean red tea that I selected in 2022. Unfortunately, his spring 2023 Oolongs sold so quickly that I wasn't able to purchase any. This year, I was fast enough to snatch this batch from May 1st and a second batch from May 6th!