Taiwanese Oolongs have a special place in my heart as they are one of the first teas I tried when I begun my Tea Journey.  So in dedication to the leaf and Taiwanese teas, we are going to look at 5 different Oolongs throughout September. To see past posts check out our “Let’s Talk Oolong” page.

  It is only natural to end with the first Taiwanese tea I ever tried.  This roasted variety has a special place in my heart. On that note it saddens me that other tea drinkers are moving away from this variety in favor of the green version.  There is a uniqueness to both of them, that makes me treat them as entirely separate teas. But let’s get back to our roasted one.
    It is a great idea to see them separately as it is Taiwan’s unique take on the tea that originally started in Main Land China. The same plant, the Tie Kwan Yin Cultivar, was taken by the Tsang brothers back to Taiwan in 1875. It is thanks to them that we have this tea available in Taiwan’s Muzha District. But there is a legend that says otherwise. 
  A poor farmer regularly visited a local temple to pray to Guwan Yin, the Goddess of compassion and mercy. While there he took extra moment to burn incense, sweep and clean the statue of worship. He did this everyday, showing true devotion. One night, in a dream, Guwan Yin visited him. She said “Look behind the temple. There is a treasure there that will last for generations. Please also share it with your neighbors”. 

   When he woke, he went behind the temple to find the treasure. The only thing there was a tiny tea bush. He brought it home and nurtured it. Years latter he made tea from the bush and kept his word, by sharing it also with hig neighbors. From then on him and his neighbors prospered. This legend is just one version. Like all legends they change over time.     
   The one thing that will not change much is the tea itself. This tea gives you a smooth toastyness that makes you want to snuggle up with a book (and reading socks). But like all versions of this tea there are fruity notes. The taste of cooked plums are welcomed with the weather slowly getting cooler. Give yourself a warm hug, and brew yourself a cup. 

What version of this tea do you enjoy most? Green or toasty? Share your thoughts in the comments below (and feed my curiosity).

 Taiwanese Oolongs have a special place in my heart as they are one of the first teas I tried when I begun my Tea Journey.  So in dedication to the leaf and Taiwanese teas, we are going to look at 5 different Oolongs throughout September. To see past posts check out our “Let’s Talk Oolong” page.

    
 It feels good to be back with the fourth part of “Let’s Talk Taiwanese Oolong”.  The first time I heard of Dong Ding was from reading +TeaMasters  blog during university.  The name itself made me want to look more into it and seek out the tea. Now years latter  we can look at this wonderful tea together. Let’s jump in.

      Dong Ding translates to “frozen peaks”, this relates to where it is grown up on Mountain Dong Ding. This mountain is responsible for approximately 11,000 Ton of tea ( the thought of that much tea makes you want to put the kettle on doesn’t it?).  The reason for this amount is that it is almost entirely covered in tea plantations, with somewhere between 4,000-5,000 growers.
    Currently there is around 4,000 growers in the region using the name “Dong Ding” for their tea, even if its not grown on the mountain. That’s a lot of Dong Ding teas out there.  Lucky for us Tea Ave sought out the real deal for us, grown between 600 – 1000m above sea level on Mountain Dong Ding.

     What is there to say about this tea? So much. Every sip makes your mouth beg for more. It has a lasting feeling in the mouth, with a peach like taste and texture that I can only describe as butter. It sits in the mouth and “melts”, leaving that lovely soothing floral taste behind. This tea means business and I highly suggest it for your evening work (or play why not) activities. I even made some more as I am writing this, it is hard to pass up this little gem.

What tea makes you come back for more? (this one is calling right now) Share your experience with tea in the comments below!

 Taiwanese Oolongs have a special place in my heart as they are one of the first teas I tried when I begun my Tea Journey.  So in dedication to the leaf and Taiwanese teas, we are going to look at 5 different Oolongs throughout September. To see past posts check out our “Let’s Talk Oolong” page.

Another week so that means another installment for “Let’s Talk Taiwanese Oolong”! Alishan is up there along with Oriental Beauty in my top favorites of Taiwanese oolongs.  This series has helped refresh my memory of all the little points that make these teas truly unique.
   But let’s get back to Alishan Jin Xuan. This tea is grown on Alishan Mountain, the most famous mountain of Taiwan (making it a big tourist attraction). During the time that Taiwan was occupied (1895-1945) many of this mountains giant evergreens were exported.  This area is now a protected area with a natural park, protecting many differnt forms of life.

    On this very mountain is where this tea is grown, between 700 – 1700m above sea level. In the area of Nantou, high quality- high altitude grown tea is produced. From tasting many different teas grown at high altitudes, I find they have a unique smoothness that comes though in the brewing.
    This tea produced a golden liquor that sooths the body with every sip (or in my case eases a sore throat). The lingering sweet finish with some nectar or honey like notes coat your mouth and throat evenly.  The taste that it starts with has fruit and pastry notes with a touch of vegetalness that lingers beneath.  It is very smooth and calms the body.  The taste is due to the similar cultivar we have seen already so far, QinXin. It is what gives the floral smell to the leaves after they are steeped. The best way to describe this tea though is yumm.

  Now that fall has set in finally (and the cold), make sure you are taking care of yourself. Best wishes to all my readers to your health and well being.

  What teas do you turn to once fall has set in?
P.S. The Tea Ave Giveaway has been extended to September 25th at Midnight! Get yourself in there for some yummy Oolongs from Tea Ave!

  Taiwanese Oolongs have a special place in my heart as they are one of the first teas I tried when I begun my Tea Journey.  So in dedication to the leaf and Taiwanese teas, we are going to look at 5 different Oolongs throughout September. To see past posts check out our “Let’s Talk Oolong” page.

This weeks tea is on the greener side with some lovely vegetal notes. Like last week this tea is also from Pingling District. There are some news out there that this tea is becoming harder to find. Which is such a pitty but the reason makes sense. Twisted leaf style teas are being replaced by rolled ball style. The latter style is easier to package for shipment, while twisted leaves break easily. Let’s hope that it never disappears so that we can continue to enjoy natures gift. 
   The cultivar that is used for this tea is QinXin. This special variety of tea plant is recognized by the unique scent it gives off during processing. This comes out in the brew. Deliciously floral with touches of vegetal notes. With the leaves being on the green side it is not surprising to have these notes.

    But let’s now talk about the name of this tea.  Bao Zhong is another way to write the name of this tea which means “wrapped in paper”. It got this name in China (Anxi) were a merchant used to present a type of tea wrapped in paper. This same custom was taken up by the Wen Shan in Taiwan. And latter became part of the names of this tea.
  There is so much to learn about all these teas. It is much more fun to learn what is beyond what we simply drink. With that I’m going finish this cup and brew up next weeks tea.

Tea Ave

Website / Twitter / Instagram

is located in Vancouver, British Columbia here in Canada. Heidi and Jeff source the best Taiwan Oolongs for their company so that they can share their passion for tea with the world.

** All of the teas that we will be discussing were purchased from Tea Ave. Only the giveaway prize was donated.

This series has been on my mind all year and I am proud that I can finally do it.  Taiwanese Oolongs have a special place in my heart as they are one of the first teas I tried when I begun my Tea Journey.  So in dedication to the leaf and Taiwanese teas, we are going to look at 5 different Oolongs throughout September. I hope you are as excited as I am.

Our first tea of September is Oriental Beauty. After watching “Tea Fight”, a fun tea themed movie, I felt compelled to find this tea. There was a great scene where it was lightly discussed and I began to look everywhere for it. It took me sometime but that first experience was well worth the wait.

   I enjoy this tea so much that I began this post with a nice big cup. So let’s take a closer look at it together.  This tea is grown in Pingling, Taiwan within the Wen shan Mountains. It is a popular village , only 30 minutes from Taipei, for buying tea.  With it being that close any tea lover would take that trip in a heart beat.

Incase you have never had this tea before let’s talk taste (but let me run off to make another cup first). What really draws you into this tea is the taste of honey, it has a natural sweetness like no other tea. To compare it to a tea that is tasted more widely, it is light like Darjeeling.  Both make you want to curl up with a good book and sip away (maybe a snack too, why not). Or you can be like me this evening and create an evening out of it.

    Starting today I am running a giveaway with Tea Ave, who were so kind to put this prize together for us. The giveaway will run till Friday September 18th and will close at midnight (EST). There is 8 silk tea bags in the tin and many of the ones we will be discussing this month.

**Edit* Giveaway extended to Friday September 25th and will close at midnight (EST).

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Psst: Don’t forget to tweet once a day for extra entries. Happy sipping!

Tea Ave

Website / Twitter / Instagram

is located in Vancouver, British Columbia here in Canada. Heidi and Jeff source the best Taiwan Oolongs for their company so that they can share their passion for tea with the world.

** All of the teas that we will be discussing were purchased from Tea Ave. Only the giveaway prize was donated.