Premium Oolong Teas

Please choose from the following teas:

FORMOSA WINTER OOLONG – Full round body with superb floral orchid-like notes with a dark cherry finish.
Background: Despite the small size of the island nation, Taiwan produces 20% of the world’s Oolong supply. Taiwanese growers have perfected a system that combines artistry and science. This is seen in the difference between spring and winter harvest Oolong. To be considered premium export quality, tea leaves need exposure to an abundance of sunlight and warmth during the day, followed by low temperatures at night. This yin and yang-like balance preserves the freshness of new shoots and lends a brisk, snappy quality to the finished product. In order to maximize the benefits of sunlight and cool temperatures, plucking takes place at different elevations, at different times of day, during different times of year. In springtime, bushes at low elevations are plucked in the morning. In winter, bushes at higher elevations are plucked first. In order to perfect the process and maximize their yield of premium leaf, Taiwanese planters must be highly in tune with nature, “feeling” the weather, as they wait for the precise day to make the switch each year. The result of all this waiting and plucking is Oolong tea that consistently dazzles the taste buds and soothes the soul. This Formosa Winter Oolong is a perfect example. In the cup, the liquor exhibits a full, round body with floral notes that hearken back to the mountainsides on which it was grown.

ORGANIC WUYI ROCK OOLONG – Some of the purest tea available on world markets. This rare oolong hails from Mount Wuyi in the Nanping Prefecture, in northern Fujian province near the border with Jiangxi Province. In 1999, UNESCO listed the mountain as a World Heritage Site. According to the UN, Mount Wuyi Is one of the World’s finest, intact, subtropical forests.
Background: The climate of the region is relatively humid due to the fact that the Mountain prevents cool air from entering the valley, and the presence of the 9 Bend River meandering through its valleys. In amongst the outstanding biodiversity of flora, fauna and wildlife grows the world famous organic rock tea. The tea bushes, like many of the other plant species, are ancient, having grown amongst the mountain’s rocky outcroppings for generations. Cultivation of the plants is difficult given the topography so exceptional care is taken when handling and plucking the fresh tea shoots. Pluckers typically wear light cotton gloves when handling the leaves, which are harvested in small quantities, so as not to tire the bushes. The fresh leaf is then allowed to naturally semi-ferment. Semi fermentation allows the edges
of the leaf to turn while the middle of the leaf stays green. The resulting flavour is at once rich, delicate and laden with floral nuance.

QUANGZHOU MILK OOLONG – Premium oolong with sweet milk and light orchid notes.
Background: Over the years, production methods have remained unchanged for the most part although some aspects like withering temperatures have been automated and regulated. First, the leaf is plucked from gardens situated between 500 – 1200 meters, and is produced between March and December. Next, the plucked leaf is withered in air-conditioned rooms until it is has reached the desired level of fermentation. The fermented tea is rocked, or sifted to sort the prime leaf required, and steamed over hot fire. Finally the tea is dried then re-sorted to ensure leaf quality and packed. The tea is produced in relatively small quantities from March to December; in fact, only 80,000 kg are produced with about 60,000 kg headed for the export market.

SPRING POUCHONG – Rare top quality oolong from Taiwan. Floral aroma. Sweet aftertaste.
Background: Situated just an hour from Taipei, Pinglin Township is the centre of Taiwanese Pouchong production. Water supply in the region comes from Peishin Stream, one of the country’s most pristine waterways. Thick forest is everywhere, a testament to the persistent environmentalism of the township’s inhabitants. The town of Pinglin, with its small population of 6000 or so, is accessible only by one tiny road, lined on both sides by workshops where artisans produce and pack Pouchong. During tea season, the town is a beehive of activity as everyone sets to work making the teas that have made the place famous. Aside from the beautiful town of its birth, what makes Spring Pouchong so special? There are a few factors. The first has to do with the special bushes on which it is plucked. These bushes grow in only a select few tracts of land around the town. The next is oxidation. Pouchong, whose character is often compared with some semi-fermented oolongs, actually falls somewhere between oolong and unfermented green tea. After plucking, the fresh leaf is allowed to oxidize for a very limited time before drying – which leads us to the third factor making this tea so special. In Chinese, the word Pouchong literally means the wrapped kind. This name stems from the traditional method of wrapping the leaves in paper during the drying process. The final factor is that with which most exceptional products are made – love. To this day Spring Pouchong is prepared by hand in the same way it has been for more than five generations. The result of all of this carefully regulated work is one of the world’s most exceptional brews – a fragrant tea with flowers and melon on the nose and a rich yet mild cup.

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Brewing suggestion: One teaspoon per cup. Infuse for 3-5 minutes (according to taste) with freshly boiled water that is around 180F or 80C. Able to be reinfused. NOT compatible with milk.

Packaging:
Cellophane bag for samples; packed to order.
Original resealable bag for pre-packaged Coffee and Tea Lovers, Metropolitan Tea, T Leaf T and Tea Total teas.
Original vacuum packed nitrogen flushed bag for Metropolitan Tea bulk buys.
Brown Detpak tin tie resealable polylined bag for other teas; packed to order.

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If you wish to purchase additional quantities than those shown as available, please Contact Us and we will advise whether this is possible.