Charcoal Roasted Lao Cong Shan Cha - Taiwan Wild Tea - Spring 2011

Harvest: Spring, 2011
Growing Region: Yuchih Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
Varietal: Indigenous Taiwan Mountain Tea (台灣山茶)
Age of Tea Plant: 86 Years (Planted in 1925)
Roast: Charcoal, Dark
10 Gram Sample Available

Overview:
This very special Charcoal Roasted Lao Cong (old tree/bush) oolong tea is made from one of Taiwan's indigenous wild tea species known as Taiwan Mountain Tea (台灣山茶: Tái Wān Shān Chá). Wild-growing tea varietals were discovered and reported by the Dutch East India Company as early as the mid-1600's, and in 1925, during the Japanese Colonial period, a branch of what is now known as the Tea Research and Extension Station was set up in Yuchih County near Yuchih Township's beautiful Sun Moon Lake to study Taiwan's wild mountain tea varieties.

The now wild-growing Mountain Tea plants used to make this exquisite tea were planted here in 1925, and they have been under the care of the family of the amazing husband and wife team who produced this tea since 1954, when the wife's Grandfather acquired the land use rights to these very special wild-growing gardens from the government. The husband and wife team who produced this tea took over the gardens in 2001, and they have spent the last 10+ years researching and perfecting their methods of producing the best tea from these now very rare, 86 year old, indigenous, wild growing tea plants.

Processing:
As with other oolong tea, this one was picked by hand and then withered in the sun for a short period of time. After the withering process has reduced the leaves' moisture content enough to make them soft & pliable, the tea leaves are spread on large bamboo trays and shaken periodically over a period of a few hours to bruise the edges and begin the oxidation process. The leaves are also sometimes placed in a tumbler to further bruise the leaves and enable further oxidation. Once the leaves have oxidized to about 60%, they are heated in tumbling dryers/ovens to stop the oxidation process. The tea leaves are then placed in cloth bags, wrapped tightly into a ball and are rolled in mechanical rolling machines. After some time in the roller, the cloth bags are removed, the giant ball of leaves is broken up either by hand or in a tumbler, then they are re-wrapped in the cloth bags and put back in the rolling machine. This process is repeated until the leaves achieve the tightly compressed ball shape the producer desires.

After the leaves have been rolled and shaped, the producers began the process of traditionally roasting this batch of tea using glowing (not flaming) charcoal which has been covered with ash (usually from burned rice hulls) to prevent flare ups and smoky tastes from penetrating & overpowering the tea flavor. The roasting process is long and slow, but the exceptional, dark or fully roasted finished product is worth every bit of work.

Like its un-roasted counterpart, this Taiwan Mountain Tea is then mellowed in the sun for between three and seven days. This sun curing process softens the flavor and begins to bring the sweetness of the finished tea into balance with the dark-roasted flavor. After this unique, old fashioned sun-curing step, the tea is packed into glazed earthenware jars, sealed, and is stored for a minimum of six months to further mellow the roasted flavor before it is released for sale.

Flavor and Aroma:
This tea is what I would call dark roasted, and the predominant flavor of the first few perfectly clear, dark amber infusions is primarily a roasty, toasty, sweet and woody with hints of bittersweet cocoa beans. After the first few infusions, the roasted flavors subside and allow more of the sweet, mellow and fruity elements to shine through. The aftertaste is bittersweet and long lasting with a hint of that bittersweet cocoa I mentioned before and a bit of dried fruit. This tea is remarkably infusible, and I've gotten many more than ten to fifteen distinct infusions out of it with no trouble at all.

Please note that this tea was produced in the Spring of 2011, and this dark roasted tea has only been mellowing out from the heavy, full charcoal roasting process since May. The roasted flavor is still quite pronounced, but it will continue to mellow over the next few months and years of storage. If you wish to store some of this tea for the future, it should be placed in a glazed (inside and outside) ceramic vessel with a tight lid. Seal the lid with plastic wrap and rubber bands or a coat of canning paraffin wax to make the seal as air-tight as possible and leave to age. If you have the self discipline to be able to keep from drinking it, you will have an excellent aged tea in a few short years. I have a feeling I will not have any in my personal collection that will last that long.

Steeping Guideline:
As usual, I suggest Gong Fu style preparation with this tea. Rather than sticking to a specific weight of tea leaves to water volume measure, we recommend simply covering the bottom of your gaiwan or Yixing style teapot with a layer of dry tea leaf-balls, use water just under a boil and a series of short steepings. If you prefer to use a weight to volume measure, try starting with 7-8 grams of leaf in a 150 ml gaiwan or teapot.

For Western-style steeping, start with 1-2 tsp of leaf per cup. Use water under a boil (195 degrees F), and steep for 3-5 minutes. Adjust the amount of leaf, steeping time, and water temperature used according to your preference.

General steeping guidelines for the different categories of Chinese tea and a short downloadable "how to" video on Gong Fu style tea preparation are available on our Chinese Tea Steeping Guide page.

Weight: 0.025 lb
11.34 grams
0.4 ounces