品茶 :: 高山大禹嶺

I'm not too hot about the lighter Taiwanese oolongs in general. They're often fragrant and floral, but without much of a bite. I prefer the darker oolongs like the Oriental Beauty (東方美人) and Red Water Oolong (紅水烏龍), the latter more than the former. The good ones are difficult to find in the commercial shops unless one knows the owners and can depend on them on a recommendation, or if you've the chance to sample someone's personal stash.

I'm also interested in a good batch of Da Yu Ling (大禹嶺) from this spring. It's a lightly oxidized tea with similar notes to China's Anxi Tie Guan Yin. It's one of the best high altitude Taiwanese oolongs, with the good ones rarely sold in large quantities. Wasn't too sure if I could find a good one in Taipei, as this isn't the home of the tea. Like Rock Oolongs (岩茶), the price isn't a reliable indicator of quality. The earlier ones tried out at the teahouses in the city didn't quite make the cut. Out of town, at the quieter stretches, by chance, I found a version I like and bought it. Light but not too floral with a fair bit of complexity.

At the teahouse and at home, I tasted it in a well made high quality ceramic gaiwan (蓋碗), which seemed to be the most ideal vessel to give space for the leaves to unfurl and the full notes of the tea to be exhibited. Relieved that the pack I bought is fine, and contains gorgeous leaves. Whewwww. Shall continue drinking this tea. Teas are meant to be drunk. This year's batch won't be the same as last year's. Even if I dump it in a fridge, often, finishing the tea as we go along in a year is best. Like the way I do for precious single malts. I'll keep them for a while, then open it up to savor. I'm certainly not going to hoard them and keep them to sell for a profit. Doesn't work that way for me.