New Tea is Here! Fall VS Spring: A Li Shan Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong
February 9, 2022
New Lot of A Li Shan Oolong
We are so excited to have received a new shipment of our most popular oolong tea, A Li Shan! It’s the most famous Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong.
This tea makes us proud–it is truly excellent. Mr. Xu, the Taiwanese farmer and tea master who makes our A Li Shan, has been growing and processing A Li Shan Oolong for more than 30 years, and has won several gold medals at tea processing competitions.
Mr. Xu has his own tea garden on A Li Shan Mountain, where he handles every step, from caring for the garden to leading the hand-picking team with his wife. The 1,300-meter elevation results in hardy leaves with a rich flavor.
October 2021 Harvest
The new lot was harvested in October of 2021, making it a fall-harvest tea. In contrast, the previous lot was from April 2021.
Spring oolong is generally more floral and aromatic, while winter oolong is known for smooth, creamy sweetness. The new October harvest is the best of both worlds, with plenty of floral fragrance, creamy richness, and a fresh, sweet, lingering aftertaste.
Comparing Spring vs Fall
In the video above, we demonstrate brewing A Li Shan in a porcelain gaiwan, walking through all the steps of rinsing, brewing, and tasting. Feel free to join in!
Keep in mind that the difference between these two oolongs is not only due to the harvest season. The second factor is age; the previous lot has had about 6 months more storage time than the new harvest.
Here is a summary of our comparison:
| Observations | Previous Lot: April | New Lot: October | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dry Leaf: Nearly Identical | Dark green half-ball shape | Dark green half-ball shape | ||
Wet Leaf Fragrance: Some Differences | Slightly flatter but still creamy and floral | Rich, floral, savory, creamy, and more fresh | ||
Wet Leaf Appearance: Similar | A little browner | A little greener | ||
Liquid Color: Similar | Barely lighter, greener | Barely darker, more golden | ||
Taste: Different | Sweet, smooth, creamy, floral. Very good, but a bit less rich and fresh. | Fresh, sweet, floral, much more rich and creamy. Delicious! |
We hope you love the new A Li Shan Oolong as much as we do! Happy sipping. 🙂
Tea & Teaware We Used:
-
Porcelain Tea Presentation Dish$7.95 -
White Porcelain Gaiwan$15.00 – $16.00 -
Bamboo Tea Tools$39.95 -
A Li Shan Taiwan High Mountain$22.00 – $58.00
