Alishan, Spring 2009

Ugh, I love this tea. Love it. But it always throws me for a loop.

Red Blossom suggests brewing between 2-3 mins at 195. Since this is rolled, I do 2:30 instead of my more normal 2 mins for oolongs. But without fail, at the end of the 2:30 I look at it in my glass teapot and think, “This can’t possibly be ready.” The liquor is just so light! A pale yellow floating about in the tea pot. Sometimes I worry and let it go a bit longer because of this, but I always pour by 3 mins.

But then I pour it into my cup. It gets instantly darker. Perhaps it is just from pouring into a more concentrated size? But even though the color is stronger, it’s still light. A lovely yellow with tones of glowing green (almost like the rating bar on here).

But it’s light. Maybe I did something wrong this time and it won’t be as good. Maybe the leaf has finally gotten old and 1g:2oz water isn’t enough. I worry. Did I brew it long enough?

So I take a sniff. Mmm, it does smell lovely. Like a garden that has just been rained on. Not MY garden, mind, but a more exotic one. Something lush and jungle-like. Mmm.

I sip and flavor just explodes in my mouth. It’s so thick! How can something so light in color taste so thick and have such good mouth-feel? It seems just steps away from being able to be chewed. But at the same time, there is a lightness to it, a freshness – perhaps from the citrus notes? – that makes me feel that this tea would be perfect to sip in the middle of a steamy summer. But that thickness makes me think it would fit in during a frigid winter, too.

I can’t help but let my shoulders relax as I drink this. As I sip it, I can tell that yes, I’ve ignored it a bit too much and it’s gotten old. It’s so good I haven’t wanted to use it up so I’ve let it lose that phenomenal taste it had when new (yes, this tea used to be even better). But ultimately, I don’t care that it doesn’t have quite the depth it used to.

I love this tea.

(Ahem, and I just realized I wrote a book while drinking this. blushes Sorry about that!)

I love this tea so much that I carry it in my online store, Bon Teavant Market. Red Blossom Tea’s owner knows Taiwanese oolongs like few others do. While they recommend a much longer steeping time than I prefer, this Alishan has a deep smooth, buttery taste that is the hallmark of this rolled oolong. I still have some in stock if anyone cares to try it. The new trend is to process high mt. oolongs a LOT greener (less oxidized), which brings in a bitter bite that I have not been able to resolve with steeping so I’m hanging onto my 2009’s as long as possible. This tea is also good for aging. I have a 15-year-old aged Alishan in my personal stash, and it’s magnificent.

This makes a damn fine cup of tea! I consider this oolong to be a ‘tank’ as I brewed it for more than eight times, so much I couldn’t finish my last cup. The only reason why I don’t give it 100%, is because of it’s availability, it was often sold out in shop.

When you buy a Alishan/Lishan consider yourself buying concentrated tea leaves that are tanks! Kind of like how laundry detergent is concentrated to take out more loads of clothes, it is same thing, so it compensates for it’s price. I brewed this in a traditional prewarmed gaiwan. The water is prepared a little shy of boiling, or at a boil and I let it cool for a minute or two. I wash the leaves with a quick spot of the hot water, and dump. My ritual with oolongs is at one minute ascending brews. Like I said this tea is a tank, so after the fifth brew I start brewing with boiling water.

The resulting cup is aromatic with a sweet smell reminiscent of a Japanese green tea, which mirrors in it’s sweet, almost vegetably-complex taste. It has a smooth finish with a enjoyable lingering aftertaste. The leaf quality is amazing! Whole processed rolled leaves will open fully. It could rise above water level in whatever you’re brewing in.