Indulge in Excellence - Taiwan Oolong

Friday afternoon, time to cup good tea in my "kitchen" !
Instead of having these fine teas by myself, I decide to set up the display to share with my tea friends on each tea I cupped this afternoon.

The first one, Wenshan Pouchong (sku#60436)

Pouchong, the esteemed
Famous for its exceptional captivating aroma; this tea demands the most superior skills in every step of processing. Pouchong is often used as gifts bestowed to elders and special friends.
This 60436 is a very good choice for Pouchong fans, reasonable price for the quality. The one we have in stock is 2011 winter crop. Limited stock.

Followed by Milk Oolong (sku#60459)

Jade Oolong, the classic
This naturally fragrant high mountain tea instantly captures tea drinkers’ love. After repeated withering, oxidation and wrapped-rolling, the pleasant aroma and delicate yet lasting flavor are sealed in the semi-balled, tightly rolled leaves. The Jade Oolong I selected is made from Jin Suang cultivar, one of our Yilan Charm - sku#60459, has a milk note in aroma, flavor also aftertaste. This is the special character of this cultivar, not to be flavored or scented by means. (*we noticed that some vendors might have milk oolong, which is scented...not the same case here.) Suggest you to try this one before our stock is gone...Planning to increase our purchase when Spring 2012 crop arrives...)

The next one is Amber Oolong (sku#80452)


Amber Oolong, the gongfu
The craftsmanship of baking Amber Oolong requires great effort and many years of practice. The toasty aroma with a natural sweet lingering finish can be enjoyed after many infusions. This tea is often used in traditional Gongfu tea ceremony. The one here is made from Chinsin cultivar, baked by a senior tea master Mr. Wu in Datung, Yilan County - A Marvelous choice of our "Yilan Charm". Mr. Wu has stocked many super super great Aged Oolong of his own.

Here comes the Oriental Beauty (sku#20436)

Oriental Beauty, the exquisite
With the special visit by green leaf hoppers in early summer, Oriental Beauty delivers an exceptional fruity and elegant floral aroma with an intense, complex flavor followed by a rich honey and ripe peach aftertaste. This is truly the Champagne of teas, only from Taiwan.
To get a descent Oriental Beauty with affordable price is truly a challenge. The one I cupped today is our sku#20436. It might not have the beautiful leaf appearance, actually more naturally broken leaves to be found. B ut, hey I like its flavor and the price. *As you know genuine Oriental Beauty must have one sprout and two tender leaves remains intact for each piece... ) Come to 2012 WTE, we make sure you can taste the top of line...if TTMA would be so generous to offer us the sample to share with tea enthusiasts who visit our booths...

Next, the exciting Brandy Oolong Ruby 18 (sku#20605)

Brandy Oolong, the darling
Made from Taiwan’s unique cultivar, Brandy Oolong has been skillfully processed with indoor withering, high-oxidation and heavy rolling to bring out the rich notes of each cultivar. Ruby 18, FB 27, FB 74…to name a few which have become the modern classics for tea enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. I am having Ruby 18 of Summer 2011, from Lungtan, Taoyuan County. This one is crafted by a young tea pro, William Huang. Amazingly nice with rich notes of cinnamon and peppermint, very round and smooth.
Salute to all for a great weekend...JP and I will be serving this tea for our TAP-SF group, who is to host a Taiwan Oolong workshop in San Jose on 2/18 (tomorrow).

The last, not the least though... Bliss Oolong (#35603)

Bliss Oolong, the harmony
This tea can be a result of blended with various estates, crops, batches, or types; or of scented or mixed with herbs and tisanes. Its flavor and aroma always brings bliss – a taste of harmony.
The one I got here is Bliss Oolong - Earl Grey (sku#35603). For those who enjoy Earl Grey, I would like to challenge you with this one. We use economical Jade Oolong to be rolled with Bergamot essence during the wrapped rolling process and seal the aroma and flavor in the tea, instead of spraying on the leaf's surface. Very enjoyable, hot or iced.
Take a closer look at the wet leaves - you will find that these leaves were machinery harvested at a lower altitude tea garden, and these teas are intend to be used for the value-added. We have worked with our vendors to use them as tea base for our Bliss Oolong. So far we have developed a few popular ones. Beside Earl Grey, there are: Sweet Olive, Jasmine, Magnolia, Pomegranate, Ginger Orange, American Ginseng. We hope you find your favorites...drink it pure, no sugar or milk...

Have a wonderful weekend to all.

Osmanthus flowers greet us back to work with big smiles on 1/3/2012

This morning, while walked in office after a few days' break...
So pleasantly greeted by these smiling Osmanthus blossoms in our office yard.

Have you ever tasted our Sweet Olive Flower Oolong (aka: Osmanthus Oolong)?
The elegant aroma perfectly harmonized with lightly oxidized Jinsuang...

I decided to make a pot of Osmanthus Oolong (sku#60440A) to start off our first working day in 2012...
Go Go Go!

take a good look at this Osmanthus scented Jinsuang Oolong...

I am using our Harmony Teapot (sku#TE-046) to infuse...
so I don't miss the beautiful unfurling process... see how fast the rolled leaves stretch...

Look at those steam under the lid...
a great deal of natural aroma from sweet olive flower and the fragrance of Jinsuang Oolong are kept and mixed in the steam...

Oh...for the combination...
Yes...I measured 5g of tea leaf with 300 ml of water at 200F and let it steep for 2 minutes ...

Take another look at the infused leaf floated in my cup...

Salute to all of our tea friends from ABC TEA's cupping room -

Have a wonderful 2012 !

The last cupping of 2011 on 5 Jade Oolongs

Cupping two Pouchongs on 1/2/2012

This morning, I open two pouches of Wenshan Pouchong tea sent by a tea farmer. Per my friend, the right one is a standard Pouchong and the left one is Chi-Chong (奇種), which is a bit more oxidized and also has gone through additional light fire baking after the tea is dried.



I always enjoy viewing the agony of tea leaf in a glass cup...

Actually, I can tell easily when the tea leaf unfurled... (although while compared the dry leaves...we already could tell the slightly difference from the appearance...yet not that much...)

A simple comparison cupping to give myself a convincing result.

After the cupping... I just keep adding leaf and enjoy my sipping, cup after cup.

Cupping 3 Oriental Beauty (11/11/2011)

Ready for the cupping on three Oriental Beauty - almost can tell the difference from the dry leaf. Yet, what will be your choice? when considering the cost of each tea...Tea business is that much challenge and also fun in dealing. Easy to pick better tea...but not necessary will be the right tea for your market and your customers...

Be patient...3 grams, 150 ml of rolling boiled water, and set for 5 minutes....

It is time for the journey of finding the specialty note in cup and also in the wet leaf...apparently these are not from the summer crop...

Have one more closer shot....

Thanks to my tea friend, Mo accompanies me for this cupping from Northern California...

Mo Sardella the one on the right looks promising. nice looking wet leaf...wish I could taste with you!

Thomas Shu Mo - actually the middle one has my attention...yet these 3 all fail to offer the Honey touch I am looking for...and the wet leaf of each just proves the answer to me. Oriental Beauty should have a precise remark on the season, and also on the fresh leaf that selected for the tea to be processed. These will be okay to be marketed as White Tip Oolongs, yet definitely not Oriental Beauty or PON FON CHA.

Discover the Oolong Triad of "Yilan Charm" !

"Yilan Charm" - an isolated Taiwan Oolong tea district that will gradually gain its popularity...
In old days, before the World's 5th longest Hsuehshan Tunnel was finally completed on 6/16/2006, usually it will take like forever to drive from Taipei City to Yilan County on the Northeastern Taiwan. "9 Turns 18 Bends" along the roadway, very scary and most people will try to avoid. Now, less than 45 minutes of driving...we can visit this beautiful region.
Many tea farmers here are actually from my home town, Hsinchu County. They climbed over the mountain to settle down at the new homeland yet continue to grow tea and have their tea gardens...Carry on the Hakka heritage...which includes Hakka Tea Mountain Love Songs, of course. The soil, the climate, plus no air pollution... the tea from this tea district quietly enjoyed by domestic tea lovers...or used to be sold at different names. We started to visit this tea region since TOST 2008, and we've made good friendship with tea farmers here ever since. Yilan Charm, is what I am going to use for the tea from this region...and I am going to share with the tea World how simple and pure their teas are.

Jade Oolong - sku#60458
Cultivar: Chinsin Oolong
Lightly oxidized about 12%-15%
Crop: Spring, 2011
Lusciously floral fragrant (osmanthus, jasmine, orchid...mixed)
Taste: very similar to a fine Wenshan Pouchong with natural sweet finish, yet this one has richer body plus aroma seems to be better sealed.


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Amber Oolong - sku#80452
Cultivar: Chinsin Oolong
Lightly oxidized about 25%-35%
Crop: Spring, 2011
Floral fragrant with smoothly toasty aroma.
Taste: Very nutty and balanced...soothing and pleasant. A mastery baking job with good tea base. I find the third and forth infusions of this tea are still very enjoyable.


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Milk Oolong - sku#60459
Cultivar: Jin Suang Oolong
Lightly oxidized about 12%-15%
Crop: Spring, 2011
Lusciously floral fragrant with a milk note.
Taste: The special cultivar plus the excellent soil condition, this tea offers a very refreshing and delightful cup, and the natural milky flavor could be picked up in the taste., definitely not any modification in the process. For those tea lovers who are in pursuit of natural Milk Oolong, this one is recommended.


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Give another look on these 3 Oolongs...

Cupping San Hsia Teas (20110720)

There is a small tea district inside New Taipei City...all by itself, unique Cultivar and serves a special tea market in Taiwan. Let us try to learn about the San Hsia Teas!
We've selected four samples for our cupping - These are all the same cultivar, Chinsin HuangGan, which is very special and not found in other tea regions in Taiwan.
#38107 San Hsia Lung-Jing
#38106 San Hsia Pi-Lo-Chun
#20601 San Hsia Formosa Bonita #FB-68
#20472 San Hsia Oriental Beauty

Taiwan has Lung-Jing and Pi-Lo-Chun?
There is a seldom known story. When KMT was forced to move from China to Taiwan after 1949... Chiang and his staff missed the green tea back home... so, for some reason, the green tea Lung-Jing and Pi-Lo-Chun were duplicated and made in San Hsia tea district. However, the farmers might be so used to Pouchong making...the Taiwan version are slightly different in appearances from their China origin. 2010 TOST members were there to see how the farmer manufactures his Lung-Jing with Japanese Sencha rollers instead of big pans with hand pressure. Pi-Lo-Chun also similar to Pouchong only tender leaf is lucked to be rolled.
Since Taiwan Green tea is limited and very different from China...the demand, even not in large scale, yet enough to keep these teas to be continuously produced. The recent trend for "Encouraging the Local Tea Industry" aadopted by one of the World's most famous beverage chain in Taiwan does help the San Hsia tea district moving along. Take a closer shots on these two teas:


This is #38106 Taiwan San Hsia Pi-Lo-Chun
With 180 F, infused for 3 minutes...naturally sweet, very refreshing.

#38107 Taiwan San Hsia Lung-Jing
Not exactly looks like Lung-Jing from West Lake, China...yet the flavor and taste is none the less. Compared with #38106, the leaf is a bit matured. Apply with 185 F, let the tea steep for 3 minutes to serve.
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These two teas - Oriental Beauty and Formosa Bonita, are fairy new to this tea district. Very interesting to see Summer Crop became a Good to have season, which is not the case in old days. With TRES' guidance...the farmers here learn how to do Oriental Beauty, yet with different cultivar, expecting a different surprise if your are traditional Oriental Beauty fan. FB-68 is definitely a must trial, very good Honey touch in the cup and complex in flavor. Take a closer shots for these two teas:

#20472 - San Hsia Oriental Beauty, this sample might not be summer crop...not too much green leaf hopper's trace to be found in leaf... Yet, Chinsin Ganchong's character is giving me a very pleasant finish. Definitely, not the PonFonCha I used to have from Beipu/Omei, Hsinchu tea district. Yet, for the price, this will be a good deal for Oriental Oolong tea lovers. Infused with 195F and 3-1/2 minutes.

#20601 - San Hsia Brandy Oolong #FB-68, my favorite among these 4 samples.
Very soothing and a pleasant honey touch. Good tea to have. (200F for 3-1/2 minutes)

We are very glad to launch a new line grown and produced from this tea district, and these teas will be in our "Sanhsia Breeze" series...

Baked Pouchong 70439

This morning, I can't wait to taste this tea that Norman and I had worked on during this trip back to Taiwan. (*We found 4 bags, 200 plus lbs old Pouchong tea (1997) sat in Sha Keng Tea Manufactory's warehouse. I suggested Norman to give this tea a trial to bake it with the way we had learned in Yuchih during TOST 2010.)
I use my "Harmony Tea Pot" to make this tea, measure 5 grams with 200 degree heated water infused for about 3 minutes.
I called Norman right away that I will take them all.
This one is just amazingly good. Not like most Tie-Kuan-Yin, this Pouchong is made of Chinsin Dah-Pan, very soothing and a pleasant finish... I believe there are a few tea friends of mine will share the same enjoyment I am experiencing. Plus, this tea is very economical compared with most aged oolongs available on the market.
Good job, my brother.