Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Lishan High Mountain Oolong Tea is one of the most unique and highest quality Oolong. Grown in the Li Mountains of Taiwan, this tea is harvested at the elevation of 1200 meters in an isolated area. Due to the cold weather and relatively harsh environments, the plants grow at a very slow rate and in small quantity. The tea is either harvested during the winter or summer and sometimes only once during the entire year. After the harvest, the leaves are carefully handled and aerated during the long ride to the nearest tea maker. Despite the difficult growing conditions, the leaves are selected as the highest quality of Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m revisiting this tea – kind of. This is a whole new year, and this Lishan High Mountain Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea is from a whole new harvest!
And not surprisingly, this is amazing.
Not surprising because: 1) All the teas that I’ve tried from Fong Mong thus far have been good, and 2) I love LiShan Oolong teas!
I brewed this LiShan in my gaiwan, and the first five infusions (following a 15 second rinse) were combined into one cup, specifically, my Yixing mug that I have just for LiShan Oolongs! Yeah, I love ’em that much!
The first cup is amazing: buttery, silky-soft texture, floral, distant notes of fruit, and a touch of vegetal undertones. It is deliciously sweet, almost a sugary sweetness that melds in a lovely way with the exotic floral tones. I like that these floral notes are not sharp, they are as soft as the texture, they taste almost “fluffy.”
The buttery notes … well, I almost typed “creamy” instead of buttery, because they taste like something in between butter and sweet cream, but I decided that it had more of a buttery flavor than that of sweet cream, so I went with buttery instead. That is to say that these creamy/buttery notes are not overly sweet to the point where they might be thought of as cloying, instead, they are like something that’s between sweet and savory, with just a few steps over toward the sweeter side than to the savory.
It’s quite a luscious tea to sip, it feels luxurious on the palate as it glides softly over it. It tastes very creamy and light and sweet. So good!
My second cup (infusions 6 – 10) was just as lovely as the first! It is also sweet, creamy and delicately luxurious with its notes of cream, flower and hints of vegetation and fruit. I didn’t notice so much of a distinct buttery note this time, though, it just tasted creamy and soft, like something that had been flavored with vanilla, but without a distinguished vanilla note.
The flower is just a tad sharper in this cup than it was in the first cup, and I think that this may be because of the fact that some of those creamy/buttery elements are not as apparent in this cup. But I like the sharpness here, it seems to bring the floral notes more into focus for me, while with the first cup, they were soft and fuzzy, almost like a daydream about flowers. Here I taste notes that evoke clear thoughts of orchid.
A really beautiful LiShan. I loved every single sip of it. It would be difficult for me to choose which cup I liked better (the first or the second!) but I will say this: the flavor of this tea is so exquisite that you really should take this for as many infusions that you can get out of it! It’s worth the effort.
Lishan Hong Xiang Milk Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This quality Lishan Hong Xiang milk oolong tea is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Jinxuan varietal. This milk oolong is naturally processed with no artificial flavoring. The aroma of this tea is very floral and milky, and the taste is intensively and naturally sweet, and delightful milky. The aftertaste is very sweet and long lasting. This tea stands up well to multiple infusions, and it is smooth and delectable with almost no bitterness. A healthy and pleasant milk oolong we recommend.
Lishan Hong Xiang Milk Oolong, also known as Pear Mountain Oolong, is one of Taiwan’s highest mountain oolong teas. Li Shan Mountain is located in Taichung County of central Taiwan, and it is renowned for producing the highest quality high mountain oolongs. The tea plantations of Li Shan range in altitude from approximately 1600 meters. The loose tea leaves are thick and juicy with a rich fragrance.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf of this Lishan Hong Xiang Milk Oolong from T-Oolong Tea has a very strong aroma that is vegetal with notes of flower. Once brewed, the vegetative notes soften significantly, allowing the floral notes to be expressed more fully.
Ah … this is NICE! I’ve often touted my love for Lishan and Alishan Oolong teas. This one is a perfect example of why I love these teas so much. It’s so sweet and creamy.
Now, granted, sweet and creamy are two generalized tasting notes that you would expect from any Oolong touting a “Milk Oolong” identification. But, let’s face it, some Milk Oolong teas are better than others! And this is one of the very best that I’ve tried. And it’s milkiness is natural, this is not an Oolong that has been flavored to taste milky or creamy.
I combined the first five infusions in one cup, and this cup is absolutely divine. There is a lovely complexity to the tea, with a smooth, creamy taste and texture, an exotic floral sweetness (orchid perhaps?) and mere whispers of vegetal notes.
Currently this tea is not in stock, but this is one of those teas that it’s well worth the effort to check in occasionally with the company to see when it is restocked. It’s so good!
Lishan Tian Fu Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This high quality Lishan Tian Fu Oolong is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Qingxin Oolong varietal grown in the mountain areas of Li Mountain. The aroma and taste of the tea are intensely floral, sweet, fruity and rich with honeysuckle-like flavors. The aftertaste is very sweet and long lasting, and this tea stands up very well to multiple infusions. It is very rich, smooth and delectable with almost no bitterness and astringency.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are few tea times more enjoyable than when I brew myself a cup of LiShan Oolong tea! And this LiShan Tian Fu Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea is so amazing!
I combined five infusions in one Yixing mug, and the combination of the infusions produces a sublime flavor of sweet, exotic tasting flower with hints of fruit. It is an intensely flavored cup. The most prominent note is that of the floral tones, which is reminiscent of the essence I would experience from the springtime air at my gramma’s house when I was young.
You see, she had a very prolific honeysuckle vine on the rear corner of her house, right next to one of the bedroom windows. And when the weather was warm during those later spring days, the window would be open, and the breezes from the Santa Ana winds would filter through the honeysuckle plant and then the breeze would enter the window. That’s what I’m experiencing as I sip this tea! I just love how tea brings these fond memories to life.
Beneath the sweet and floral honeysuckle-esque notes I taste faint vegetative notes that have a slight buttery intonation to them. There is some creaminess to this cup, but it isn’t a strong creamy note, nor does it seem to build or intensify as I continue to sip. It’s a subtle creamy taste and texture that melds with the vegetal tones.
Toward the end of the sip, a hint of fruit emerges … just faintly. It is a sweet note that reminds me of a crunchy apple, but without the tartness that I usually associate with an apple. As mentioned in the above review, I notice no bitterness, and no astringency.
And while this particular tea is not currently in stock on T-Oolong Tea’s website, I think it would be worth the effort to keep checking in occasionally to find out when this tea will be restocked. It’s a LOVELY tea, and if you love Oolong, it’s one you should try!
Taiwan Lishan High Mountain Oolong (Wulong) Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Lishan High Mountain Oolong Tea is one of the most unique and highest quality Oolong. Grown in the Li Mountains of Taiwan, this tea is harvested at the elevation of 1200 meters in an isolated area. Due to the cold weather and relatively harsh environments, the plants grow at a very slow rate and in small quantity. The tea is either harvested during the winter or summer and sometimes only once during the entire year. After the harvest, the leaves are carefully handled and aerated during the long ride to the nearest tea maker. Despite the difficult growing conditions, the leaves are selected as the highest quality of Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are few teas that get me as excited as Oolong teas, and my favorites are by far the AliShan and the LiShan type Oolong teas (is there a difference between the two? I love them both, and I would be hard-pressed to be able to determine a difference between them. I mean, I know that there are differences, but I really enjoy both of them almost equally.) So, when it came time for me to sample this Taiwan Lishan High Mountain Oolong (or Wulong) Tea from Fong Mong Tea, I was a very happy tea drinker!
The dark green tea leaves, wound into tight pellets, took their time to completely unfurl. It took about six infusions to completely unfurl … but that’s quite alright with me … that just means more tea time enjoyment for me! The aroma of the brewed tea is sweet and floral, with notes of “green” … what I mean by that is … you know that smell that you experience when you walk into a forest after a rainfall? How it smells of sweet, green leaves? I smell hints of that in my teacup.
But it’s the flavor of a Lishan Oolong that captures my heart every time I drink it. It’s so sweet, smooth and creamy. It’s a complete joy to sip … so relaxing and restorative.
At the start of the sip, I notice sweetness, with notes of flower and cream. As the liquid washes over my palate, I notice the softness of the texture. Toward mid-sip, I notice hints of fruit notes. Nothing really distinct … just … hints of what could be apple. As the sip progresses toward the finish, I start to notice a vegetative note.
It is at this point where I notice vague spice notes – this is a very faint taste, but I notice it more toward the finish of the sip … as if the spice sort of settles onto my palate. Just a hint.
A lovely, complex Oolong from Fong Mong Tea! If you like your Lishan teas like I do … this is one you should try!