Occasionally, we are lucky enough to procure small allotments of very special teas. This set of rare Taiwanese oolongs is beautifully complementary in profile, yet still fully encompasses the complexity of aroma and flavor native to the Taiwanese terroir and style of oolong production. With this set, you will explore our favorite terroir for oolong tea: Taiwan. Mucha Tie Guan YinMucha (Muzha), Taiwan Our Mucha Tie Guan Yin (“Iron Goddess of Mercy”) comes to us from the Mucha (Muzha) region of Taiwan. Traditionally made with 3-4 mature leaves and no buds, the origin of Tie Guan Yin dates to the early 18th century in Anxi. Our Mucha Tie Guan Yin was harvested from trees planted around 1875 - likely by settlers from Fujian Province - and has undergone a days-long, intensive roasting process, giving it a lovely toasty character. Expect notes of coffee and caramel on the nose and mixed with candied fruit and apricot flavors on the palate. Light Roast High Mountain Oolong Shan Lin Xi, Taiwan Fall 2023 harvest Sourced and roasted "finished" by Lisa Lin, a well respected tea affineur (one who refines or edits) of Dong Ding oolong. Lin was particularly taken with this day's harvest due to its aromatic profile and the fact that it is sufficiently oxidized to produce a beautiful roasted tea. Lin roasted these leaves twice for a total of 14 hours. The result is a very pleasantly complex, sweet profile with a pastry character and mild notes of warming spices akin to mace and coriander. Concubine Oolong Ali Shan, Taiwan Fall 2023 harvest An exemplary concubine roasted three times by a master affineur, this bug bitten oolong is sure to please. Light/medium roast, to accentuate the honey fragrance. Concubine Tea differs from another classic bug bitten tea, Oriental Beauty, in that its leaves are tightly rolled, rather than curled in the traditional mainland Chinese method. Collection Includes: ~28 first steeps of tea, and many more resteeps!
