Four Seasons Oolong is a relatively new varietal developed during the 1980s in the Nantou region of Taiwan. It is lightly oxidized and very floral with a hint of jasmine. Four Seasons Oolong tea was founded accidentally by a tea farmer in the Mu Zha area in Taipei, almost like a tea-growing wild in his garden. Interesting to note that one characteristic of this tea is its somewhat strong vigor and wildness. This farmer happened to notice that some of his tea plants were growing exceptionally fast while his other regular tea plants were not even beginning to bud. So he nurtured & planted a field of this tea and discovered he could get up to 7 or 8 harvests per year. It could even be cropped in early or late winter. Thus the name Four Seasons Oolong. Because Four season plants yield a large quantity of tea each year, more and more tea farmers have started to grow Si Ji Chuan (Four seasons) tea plants during recent years. Most of the Four Season Oolong tea is now grown in the Song Po Ling region of Mingjian, Nantou County, Central Taiwan. This tea growing region produces the largest quantity of machine cuts Oolong teas in Taiwan. Four Season Oolong has a fresh flowery aroma. Some people say it is similar to Chinese Ti Kwan Yin (Tieguanyin), probably partly because of its strong aroma & possibly because Ti Kwan Yin also possesses a somewhat “wild” and vigorous characteristic.
