Red Oolong

Red Oolong | 紅烏龍 Tasting notes: Nutty, honey, cacao Origin: Luye, Taitung, Taiwan Elevation: 250-450m Oxidation: ⦿⦿⦿⦿○ Heavy roasted A Red Oolong sourced from 3rd-generation tea farmers in Luye, Taitung, Taiwan, this version is produced in the traditional way, with medium oxidation and heavy roasting. Why we love it: Red Oolong is a recently invented tea (2008) that is technically an oolong-black tea hybrid. It is heavily oxidised, so has that maltiness of a black tea while retaining the aroma of an oolong. It is minimally bug-bitten for a slight honey flavour. It is made with an Wuyi cultivar 武夷茶, brought from Wuyishan centuries ago and now localised in Taiwan. It is processed in the standard/ traditional way for Red Oolong, with medium oxidiation and heavy roasting, thus the nutty, malty tasting notes. It is roasted with a traditional charcoal roasting process 古法烘焙 that takes up to a month to complete. It is produced at the end of October - the first winter batch. This farm practices "friendly harvesting", with 4-5 harvests a year: two in spring, one in autumn and two in winter, resting in summer. What is bug-bitten tea?