Description

Alishan Jin Xuan High Mountain Oolong

Due to it’s milk-like taste, th unroasted, lightly oxidized oolong tea of the Taiwanese Jin Xuan cultivar is also known as “milk oolong”. Its characteristic taste properties show best in the tea of the cultivar’s homeland, namely the higher altitudes of Taiwan’s Alishan mountains. However, the tea should not be confused with the so-called “Milky Oolong”, an oolong tea scented with milk extracts. Because our naturally pure Jin Xuan High Mountain Oolong derives its special taste qualities exclusively from the specific genetic predisposition of the cultivar and the unique terroir of its homeland.

click picture(s) to enlarge

Origin / Terroir

The Alishan mountain region in Chiayi County, Taiwan, is one of Taiwan’s most renowned tea-growing areas. The associated “High Mountain” terroir propvides for a cool climate, high humidity, and nutrient-rich soil, creating ideal conditions for tea plant growth and producing teas with complex flavors and aromas. This is also home to our Alishan Jin Xuan High Mountian Oolong, in two respects. On the one hand, this is where the tea grows. And on the other hand, this is the original home of its cultivar.

The Tea Garden

The tea garden, surrounded by forest and dense undergrowth, is situated at elevations of over 1500 meters and is cultivated using natural farming methods, without the use of pesticides or other agrochemicals. The cool climate and daily mists ensure that the plants grow slowly, yielding delicate, flavorful tea leaves and buds. It is the same natural tea garden from which our Alishan Chin Shin High Mountain Oolong comes. This nicely examples the defining influence of the cultivar alone on a tea’s aroma and taste profile.

click picture(s) to enlarge

The Cultivar

click picture(s) to enlarge

Picking

The hand-picking of the tea leaves follows the standard for harvesting high-quality Oolong tea leaves. This involves selecting the young shoots at the tip of each branch along with the 2 larger adjacent leaves.

Processing

The processing of this lightly oxidized and unroasted “Pouchong” Oolong follows the traditional Artisan standard. Freshly picked leaves undergo a withering phase initially. During this period, the tea leaves are constantly turned and tossed in order to break up the leaf surfaces. Following this is a brief oxidation phase and the rolling of tea leaves into the characteristic ball shape, which aids in breaking down cell structures to ensure even distribution of tea juices within the leaf. The tea leaves are then dried to a moisture content of about 5%.

click picture(s) to enlarge

Taste, Aroma & Visual Appearance

The dry leaves of this “ball-type” oolong show a ragged appearance and an intense dark green color with a characteristic blue tint (oolong tea = “blue tea”). The natural aroma of Jin Xuan creates a unique taste composition of baked milk, vanilla and honey, complemented by delicate floral undertones reminiscent of orchids, lilacs and honeysuckle.

Preparation

This tea virtually aks for preparation in the Chinese or Taiwanese “Gong Fu” style. Characteristic of this style is a series of relatively short steeping times with a high tea leaf dosage.

As an initial approach, pour 3-5g / 100ml Alishan High Mountain Oolong tea leaves with boiling hot water. Then let steep for 40 seconds for a refreshing and delicious first infusion. Subsequently, a 2nd infusion needs about 1/2 minute only, with each subsequent steep adding an extra 30 seconds. Over time, of course, tea lovers will develop their own individual preparation preferences.

For more teas from Taiwan, pleae visit the following link: :

Tea from Taiwan @ Siam Tea Shop

For details on the subjects of oolong tea and oolong tea processing, we recommend reading my relevant lesson in

My Little Tea School – The ABC of TEA

Tea Processing IV – Oolong Tea Processing