At 2600 meters above sea level, Fu Shou Shan is the second highest peak in the Lishan Range, exceeding Lishan (for which the mountain range is named) by almost 400 meters.
Because of its high elevation and northern latitude, Fu Shou Shan’s harvest begins much later than most Formosa oolong teas. Our Fu Shou Shan was hand-gathered from a tea garden that sits at nearly 2500 meters (8200 feet) above sea level. At that elevation, strong but short sun exposure in the morning produces intense flavor compounds, while cooler mist-enshrouded afternoons allow the plant to store those compounds. This tea was harvested at the end of May 2016. This later harvest gave the tea more time to develop, intensifying the taste, aroma and finish of an already delicious tea.
The result is an incredibly flavorful and complex tea with an amazing degree of balance and restraint, with absolutely no astringency or bitterness. An initial brew delivers aromatic notes of sugarcane and cream. Subsequent brews reveal more complex floral and tropical notes that bring to mind ripen sweet pineapple and passion fruit. The finish is rich, unctuous and persistent.