Tea 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:
Oh. My. Goodness! YUM!
By now, I’ve tried several different teas from Cameron Tea, and I’ve been quite delighted with the teas that I’ve tried! But this one … this is the best thus far. Not surprisingly, it is an AliShan Oolong. A Jin Xuan AliShan at that. What that means, essentially, is that this is a Milk Oolong. And it’s one of the finest Milk Oolong teas I’ve encountered in quite some time!
So sweet and creamy and oh-so-good!
Since this is an Oolong, I approached the brewing the same as I would just about any other Oolong: in my gaiwan. But instead of combining the first two infusions in one cup, I combined the first five infusions in my YiXing mug that is designated for AliShan Oolong tea.
And the combination of the first five infusions is lusciously sweet and smooth. It has a flavor that is somewhere between milk and sweet cream with hints of vanilla. The texture isn’t quite as heavy as whole milk. It’s probably more like the texture of a 2% milk. Which is a nicer, creamier texture than the milk that is usually served in this house.
We get 1% milk. I personally prefer 2% milk. But since I’m not a big milk drinker nor do I consume a lot of cereal, I don’t balk too much at the 1% milk. What I’m driving at here is that I like the texture of this tea better than I like the texture of the milk we buy. Although … I’m not sure how Oolong tea would work on cornflakes.
The flavor is so sweet and delicious. The floral notes in this cup (the first five infusions) are mingling with the creamy tones, and in this cup, the creamy notes are stronger than the floral notes. The creaminess lingers, but it never feels overwhelming to the palate. It is quite enjoyable.
I can also taste hints of fruit in this cup, but they are distant. It’s actually quite a complex cuppa, but I find the creamy notes so delightfully decadent that it’s hard to focus on anything but the sweet, creamy notes!
Since I LOVED that first cup so much, I decided to go ahead and infuse those leaves a little more, and I brewed a second cup – a combination of infusions 6 – 10.
And believe it or not … the second cup was nearly as lovely as the first! Still very creamy! The creamy notes are more distinctly vanilla this time around … making this cup even more delicious in my opinion. The (still) subtle floral notes of the cup seem to emphasize the vanilla.
I taste hints of a melon-like flavor in the distance, the aforementioned fruit notes that I noticed in the first cup are slightly more distinct now … but only slightly. This tea is still more about the creamy notes than it is about either flower or fruit. This cup is a little more astringent than the first. I noticed barely any astringency in cup #1 and now there is a mild astringency to this cup.
If you are a fan of Milk Oolong teas … this tea should be at the very top of your MUST TRY list. Trust me. You’ll be thanking me after you try it. And you’re welcome!
ITFA Global Tea Taster’s Club, October’s Shipment, Part 1: SiaoSyue – Winter Jin Syuan
Leaf Type: Oolong
Produced By Dignitea Garden
For More Information, visit the Tea Farms webpage
About ITFA Global Tea Taster’s Club:
By subscribing to the Global Tea Tasters Club, you will receive tea from ITFA tea farms 6 times per year. Each time, we will select a different region to feature and as we grow in tea farm members, so will your tea experience.
Your tea will also be accompanied by info about the tea and the tea farms themselves.
To know where your tea is coming from, who has grown and produced it, to taste the difference in teas from around the world…what could be better?
Taster’s Review:
October’s shipment of teas for ITFA’s Global Tea Taster’s Club brought me teas produced in Taiwan. And when I think of teas from Taiwan, I immediately think Oolong! And, yes, this shipment featured three different Oolong teas (as well as one Black tea). Yay! I do love Oolong!
And of course, my favorite Oolong is Ali Shan! And so what better way to start off these tastings from October’s shipment than with an Ali Shan Oolong?
This Ali Shan Jin Shuan SianSyue Oolong from the Dignitea Gardens is the first tea that I selected from my October package, and it is LOVELY. It has a remarkably light roast to it, giving it a hint of nutty, buttery flavor without a strong roasty-toasty taste. 
It is remarkably fragrant, with a beautiful floral note that reminds me of something between orchid and lily. This floral note translates to the flavor, but while the floral taste is there, it is in keeping with the overall lightness to the cup, and does not overwhelm.
In one sip, I notice not only the delightful floral notes, and the nutty flavor, but hints of buttered popcorn, and a very subtle undertone of spice. For such a light tea, there is a surprising amount of flavor and body to the cup.
This tea is a perfect example of why I adore Ali Shan so much.
Pure Heart Alishan from Asha Tea House
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Asha Tea House
Product Description:
Spring 2011
Tai He District, Ali Shan, Taiwan
Tea master: Mr. LiHandpicked leaves. Top quality production by Mr. Li.
A sweet aroma reminiscent of a brisk, high mountain sunrises and sweet green vegetation.
From the “Pure Heart,” or Qing Xin / 清心 varietal, considered the most pure representation of high mountain tea.
If we had to describe this tea in one sentence:
White tea is elegant, green tea is pure, and black tea is bold, but a fine Oolong is all three and more.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve mentioned once or twice before, I absolutely adore Ali Shan Oolong. It is my favorite of all the Oolong teas. I even have a special Yixing Tea Mug that is for my Ali Shan consumption (and I really need to start using it more often!)
And this Pure Heart Alishan from Asha Tea House is fantastic (and as the above description suggests, it’s incredibly fresh, too!) It starts out light and crisp. Very pure … just like the above statement from Asha Tea House suggests, it’s a green tea kind of pure. And as I continue to sip from my Yixing mug, the flavors multiply upon my palate. The soft mouthfeel develops, as does a beautiful floral sweetness.
Unlike some other Alishan Oolong teas that can be somewhat buttery or even of syrupy consistency, this tends to be lighter and softer. It doesn’t feel as thick on the palate, allowing it to explore the nuances of the floral tones. I don’t taste as much of the vegetative taste. Instead, I taste a clean, flowery taste that reminds me of the air in a garden in the early spring, just as the flowers are beginning to bloom.
A delightful Alishan. If you enjoy Alishan Oolong teas, you need to try this one!
Ali Shan Oolong from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Product Description:
Our Ali Shan Oolong hails from the famed Ali Shan (a.k.a. “Alishan” or “Ali Mountain”) of Taiwan. It is a high elevation Taiwanese oolong with all the floral, sweet flavors you’d expect of one. Dry and wet, the large leaves emit aromas of clover honey, field grasses and fresh flowers. Ali Shan’s complex flavor profile includes classic floral, honeyed and creamy notes, as well as hints of marine air, clover fields, sage and cracked black pepper. A honeyed finish with suggestions of pepper, menthol and sweet grass and a creamy, sweet second infusion make Ali Shan a tea that can be enjoyed for a long period of time. Try brewing it gong fu style with a leisurely breakfast of sliced green pears, chopped fresh mint and Greek yogurt, or with a dinner of creamy sage-asparagus risotto.
Taster’s Review:
Ali Shan Oolong is my favorite type of Oolong tea – I love it so much that I even bought a Yixing tea mug that is used exclusively for when I drink Ali Shan Oolong.
This Ali Shan Oolong from thepuriTea is exquisite. It smells like honey! I can also smell the fresh grass and floral notes that are mentioned in the above description.
The flavor is sublime. It has a honey-esque sweetness to it that is present throughout the sip and lingers into the aftertaste. I taste a fresh vegetal note, as well as a hint of flower. There is a spiced undertone and a buttery overtone.
I recommend steeping this Oolong in a gaiwan, starting with a 30 – 45 second steep and increasing the time gradually with each subsequent steep. What is in my Yixing mug right now is the first four infusions combined. And the leaves are ready and willing to submit even more tea!
This Ali Shan is a must try for Oolong enthusiasts!
Alishan High Mountain Oolong from Canton Tea Co
Tea Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Canton Tea Co
Product Description:
Alishan (Mount A Li) is one of Taiwan’s most famous oolong tea-growing areas. The mountain has a rich soil and ideal climactic conditions. It is cool and moist with daily mists so the plants grow very slowly and produce tender, flavourful tea leaves and buds.
This Alishan oolong is hand-picked and hand-processed by traditional methods into rolled ‘fists’. It has a smooth, fruity, sweet taste and a pleasing bright colour. This tea has a complexity that means each brewing brings out new characteristics and flavours.
New 2010 spring season tea. This is a very good example of one of Taiwan’s most celebrated high-grown oolong teas. The fresh, clean almost creamy taste makes it an extremely refreshing and satisfying tea to enjoy at any time of day.
Our Buyer’s notes
“This tea is produced by an old friend of mine on a small tea farm in Ali Shan. He is a skilled tea maker and only uses the best leaves processed in the old-fashioned way to ensure a sweet taste.”
Tasters Review:
This has been on my “TO TRY LIST” for a long time! I tried this both ICED and HOT.
HOT is crisp and clean and truly Ali Shan! All I can think of while drinking this is beautiful and happy thoughts…it’s bright and sweet! It’s oddly…but fabulously CREAMY for an Oolong! It’s a gem of an Oolong and I just LOVE it!
COLD…it seems juicer but is still very creamy and quenches my thirst! Excellent either COLD or HOT…YUM!
