In Taiwan, black teas like this one, harvested in summer before the heavy rains, are generally considered the best in the country and this example does not disappoint. This exceptional black tea is velvety smooth, fruity, spicy and honey-like with an enduring, sweet aftertaste. The tea plant was attacked by a small insect which bites the leaves, causing the plant to release chemicals to protect itself. These chemicals have a very specific and desirable effect on the tea leaves, producing a honey/spicy fragrance, which makes it reminiscent of a very famous bug-bitten oolong – Dong fang Mei Ren or ‘Oriental Beauty’.
Produced without use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers.
Flavour profile: velvety smooth, honey, fruity, spicy, sweet, full
50g
location Qi Lai shan, Nantou District, Taiwan
cultivar Chin Shin
harvest July 2022
multiple-steeping
water 95°/150ml
tea 5g
time 1m/30s/1m/1.5m/+
single-steeping
water 95°/450ml
tea 8g
time 3m