Description Tasting Notes Origin Brewing Flavor: Pine forest, fire-roasted yams aroma. Smooth mouthfeel. Cocoa, roasted pecans, and molasses flavor profile. Sweet/tangy, smoky, mellow finish. Harvest: Hand-picked, medium batch. Fall 2025 Shanlinxi, Taiwan. Elevation: 1300m These tea leaves are from a Shan Lin Xi high mountain tea farm, fall 2025 harvest. They were they were sufficiently oxidized to be suitable for extensive roasting. This batch of tea was oven roasted 4 times over a few months time, letting it rest between roastings. The first three roastings started at 100°C for four hours, then 110°C for three hours. The fourth roasting started at 110°C for three hours, then 120°C for two hours. In sum, long slow roasting sessions at relatively low temperatures, repeatedly over time. When it was about 80% of the desired roasting level, it was brought it to the local charcoal roasting master in Lugu, who completed the task, using Longanwood charcoal. The aroma that exudes from these leaves during their initial steeping is a rich caramelized, pine wood/nutty character with a hint of smoke. The tea is complex, hearty, and smooth, with a pleasant balance of bitter and sweet notes in the finish. This batch of tea was sourced by our tea mentor and close friend Lisa Lin in Lugu, Taiwan. Lisa sourced tea from her friend's farm at fall harvest that was processed according to her request for a more extensive oxidation. Lisa roasted this batch of tea four times over a few months time, letting it rest between roastings. When it was about 80% of the level she was aiming for, she brought it to the local charcoal roasting master in Lugu, who completed the task, using Longanwood charcoal. These tea leaves were allowed to oxidiize significantly more than a standard High Mountain Oolong. The skillful art of roasting tea is in the ability to comprehend the composition of the leaves before the roasting begins, and to perceive the transformation they go through in the long, slow roasting process. This perceptual ability becomes more essential as the leaves reach their optimal composition. Mug: 6g tea in 300ml 100°C water. Steep for 3 minutes. Re-steep. Adjust to taste. Cold Brew: Use 5g of tea per liter of water. Brew tea at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and enjoy. Or you can put your cold brew bottle in the fridge to brew overnight and be ready to drink the next day. Gong Fu: Use a 1:15 leaves to water ratio when using a teapot under 200mL. For larger teapots (up to 300mL), use a 1:18 ratio. Use boiling temperature water and brew for about 50 seconds. Increase brewing time with each successive brew. The leaves can be brewed 6-8 times.
