Description

DMS Jin Xuan Oolong No. 12 Blue Pearls

Following our metaphor of calling the No. 17 the Queen of the Northern Thai Oolong teas, the Jin Xuan Oolong No. 12 might just as well deserve the throne of the king. Originally, the Jin Xuan tea cultivar comes from Taiwan. In north Thailand, its settling took place during the 1990s on initiative of the Royal Thai Development Project.

Indeed, we can attribute some arguably rather male features, such as muscle power and straightforwardness, to the Jin Xuan Oolong No. 12. The pleasant grassy-herbal aromatic scent of this Oolong tea with a medium of fermentation initially only hints at the  full-bodied, expressive, dry and earthy taste. At the same time, a decent creamy-nutty note, gaining moment with longer infusion periods, adds depth and complexity to this Oolong tea.

The beautiful, carefully handpicked, rolled leaf will open up to its full size after half a minute in the hot water, before producing a clear, bright yellow to amber infusion, which spontaneously arouses the association of gold and sunlight with the observer.

In the nomenclature of DMS Jin Xuan Oolong No. 12 Blue Pearls, DMS stands for the cultivation region Doi Mae Salong. Then, “No. 12” is the genuine hybrid designation, while “Jin Xuan” is the cultivar’s common name. And finally, Blue stands for ‘blue tea’ (Oolong tea), while “Pearls” means the rolled form (ball-shape) the leaves take on in processing.

Doi Mae Salong – Center of Tea Cultivation in North Thailand

In the mountain region of Doi Mae Salong, tea trees grow both wild and in cultivated form. Here, at altitudes between 1200 and 1600 meters, the plant finds optimal conditions. Among these is the climate, consisting of 3 seasons. These are a rainy period, a hot and dry period and a cold period. Notably, Doi Mae Salong is the center of tea cultivation in north Thailand. Since about the late 1980s, the local ethnic Chinese and hilltribe population has made tea the region’s major cash crop.

Preparation

DMS Oolong Nr. 12 Jin Xuan Blue Pearls unfold their bold, rich aroma best with 3 grams of tea pearls on 200ml water. At this, use an infusion temperature of 85°C and an infusion period of 2-3 minutes. With such western style brewing, you will receive at least 3-4 infusions from this tea.

When preparing according to the traditional ritual Chinese form of tea preparation, the ‘Gong Fu Cha’ or  ‘Tea Ceremony’, tea masters will infuse this tea up to 7 times or more. In order to highlight every nuance of an Oolong tea’s aromatic wealth, the tea ceremony applies shorter infusion periods across a longer series of infusions. This usually comes with high dosing.

For more information about this tea, please also read our pertaining blog article

Jin Xuan Oolong No. 12 – Thailand’s Most Versatile Tea Cultivar