It's All Gone Ali Shan
Taiwan in the 90s was an inflection point in oolong's history when lightly oxidized teas took the stage and traditional oolongs headed towards the exit. Heavier oxidation and roast had fallen out of favor as the domestic market went nuts for teas with a brighter floral fragrance and little to no roast. Like a DJ playing tired music and on the cusp of losing it all, it looked like the end was near for traditional oolong making. Thankfully there was a third act.
Unlike the bloated spectacles coming out of Hollywood, roasted oolongs redemption came not from rising out of the ashes in a montage sequence to beat the living tar out of its competition, but as a small ember left in the fire kept alive by hardcore tea makers and connoisseurs. It was through these lean times that these oolongs wandered the wilderness and hoped for the a day to reclaim their rightful place amongst the tea world royalty.
Enter Han. After graduating with an engineering degree, he rejoined his family farm in Ali Shan. Although they primarily focused on selling their tea to wholesalers, it was through his efforts that they began to work with charcoal masters who specialized in competition roasting. As a service Han would perform preliminary roasts at their garden, before sending the tea to the charcoal master for its final roasting. Like many of his generation, he held a keen interest in learning how things were made, so he soaked up all the knowledge these roasters were willing to impart and poured his heart into roasting.
With Its All Gone Ali Shan, a 20% oxidized tea roasted four times, Han and his family have been part of this story of the revival of traditional oolong. Like in coffee, the impact of the roasting should not be all you are tasting, rather it should accent the existing character of the tea.
With notes of peanut brittle, roasted chicory and yellow lotus, a few cups of this tea and you'll be having way more fun than a night out with the coke badger and with all your senses intact.
Tea Garden - Cha Na Ya Yan
Roaster - Hsieh Min-Han
Location - Ruifeng, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Elevation - 4,600'
Harvest Date - 04/17/2024
Roast Dates - 4/20 - 4/29/2024
Cultivar - Qing Xin
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
- Gong Fu - This tea works great in both porcelain and semi porous vessels. Since it is ball rolled, we recommend filling less than a third of the vessel with dry leaf. A transportive experience is also available when brewing grandpa style.
- Western - Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz of water. Add 195F water and steep for 4-6 minutes. Can be re-steeped a second time, adding 2-3 minutes to the original steep time.