Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong Tea (Competition Grade) from Cameron Tea

AlishanCameronTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Cameron Tea

Tea Description:  

AliShan is one the famous oolong tea growing areas in Taiwan. Located at altitude of 1500m, the mountain has a rich soil and ideal climactic conditions. The cool climate and moist from daily mists make the plants to grow very slowly and produce tender, flavourful tea leaves and buds.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Yay!  AliShan!  I love AliShan Oolong!  I love LOVE love it!

And this competition grade Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong Tea from Cameron Tea is LOVELY!  It is definitely worthy of all the love I bestow onto AliShan Oolong teas.

The dry leaves have a sweet, floral scent with hints of fruit.  The aroma of the brewed liquid smells very much like the dry leaf, with a little more floral notes and fewer fruity notes.

I brew the leaves in my gaiwan, but since this is an AliShan and it’s a rather special tea to me, rather than using my usual Oolong tea cup that holds two infusions of an Oolong, I combined the first five infusions of this tea into my Yi Xing Mug that is specially designated for AliShan Oolong teas.

The first five infusions mingling together in my tea mug produce a sweet, creamy, luscious flavor.  The overall flavor and texture of the cup is delicate.  Notes of flower, hints of fruit and vegetation, and a light honeyed sweetness wash over the palate.  I would describe the honey notes as a “thinned” honey, it isn’t a thick or heavy sweetness, it’s more like a watered down honey-esque tone that melds with the floral notes in a really delightful way, softening the flowery sharpness.

There is also a distinct, roasted nutty tone to this tea.  This is a distant flavor, something that sort of plays off in the background while these other flavors serve as the primary flavors tasted.

The sip starts out with a fresh, crisp floral note that is immediately followed by a hint of sweet, buttery vegetative taste.  Fruit notes weave their way in and out of the sip while the thinned honey flavors sort of provide an undercurrent of sweetness.  Mid-sip, I start to notice the hint of roasted, nutty tones.  The finish is sweet and crisp with a faint but lingering aftertaste of sweet flower.

A really lovely Alishan Oolong!  Admittedly, I haven’t yet found an Alishan that I’m not fond of, but, I have to say that this Competition Grade from Cameron Tea is certainly an excellent example of this, my favorite Oolong.  I highly recommend it.

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