Additional Information
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Starting at $ 13.50
If you are a fan of our Wild Mountain Black Teas, you must try this very unique black tea made with one of the most recent cultivars developed by Taiwan’s Tea Research and Extension Station. Released in 2004, it was initially developed to make Bao Zhong tea in northern Taiwan but it gradually made its way further south. Some higher altitude growers in Nantou have noticed that it produced a remarkably fragrant tea hence its name yíng xiāng or welcoming aroma. Not surprisingly, this characteristic is still present when transformed as a black tea. It is not a bouquet of flowers that emanates when the leaves are warmed with water but rather the warm wafts of a pastry shop with all of its buttery sweetness. A first sip will confirm this but then the palate is surprised by the rich creamy texture that mellows out the tangy fruit notes with hints of sweet spices. This tea is expressive and somewhat bold but not brash. Everything flows with velvety sophistication. Very few growers are using this cultivar and even less are considering it for black tea. We strongly believe that we are riding on the cusp of an emerging trend with this tea. This is a must try tea and certainly one of the highlights of this summer’s black tea finds. Available in very limited quantity.
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Oxydation level | |
Baking Level | |
Terroir | |
Administrative Region | |
Picking Style | |
Cultivar(s) Used | |
Garden Elevation |
Virtually unknown in the West, Shancha’s presence and use as an infused drink has first been recorded in Chinese writings dating back to the 17th century (1697). It’s been known and used by the aboriginal inhabitants of this island then, before, and still today. Its botanical characteristics are somewhat close to the Assamica with its long leaves but distinct with unique adventitious shoots arising from its underground roots. It is a shrub that prefers a wild, mountainous habitat with altitudes ranging between 650 m to 1500 m. Four distinct protected areas have been put in place in central, south and eastern Taiwan for the preservation of this national treasure which is revered as the father plant to some of the most unique and distinctive tea hybrids of Taiwan. For example, it is from this unique wild strand that the Taiwan Research and Experiment Station (TRES) has successfully developed the now famous TRES-18 Red Jade black tea which has fueled the whole black tea revival in Taiwan since the turn of this new century.
This tea is not promoted to sell into the market because of its wild characteristic. It is a plant that doesn’t render the same taste if cultivated in a more systematic way therefore it is quite rare. The tea we propose is in fact made from leaves that are picked from wild trees that are found randomly in the surrounding mountains of Yuchi Township. To do so, the producer gets up at 4 o’clock in the morning during the picking season of July and August to roam the mountains with aboriginal pickers to look for the wild tea. Only trees picked at an altitude of no less than 1000 m are considered for the best taste characteristics. Furthermore, just like Oriental Beauty oolong, Gui Fei oolong and Mi Xian black tea, Shan Cha is a bug-bitten style tea where a small leaf hopper will nibble the leaves and leave their characteristic contribution to the taste of this tea: a wonderfully sweet honey finish that is quite distinctive and pleasant.
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Iggy (verified owner) –
excellent tea, very fragrant, tasty and sweet black!