SiamTeas Clubbox No.2 – “4 2 Origins” Oolong-T-Box

Description The CLUBBOX @ Siam Tea Shop The SiamTeas Clubbox is a flexible format for bundling several types of tea in generously portioned tasting size at preferential price. The second edition offers a representative cross-section of the classic 4 regions of origin as well as the different processing variations of oolong tea. In addition to the 4 classic regions of origin of oolong tea – Wuyishan, Anxi and Fenghuangshan in China and Taiwan – the box provides 2 examples of teas processed according to the oolong tea principle coming from other regions of origin, namely Ha Giang in northern Vietnam and Doi Mae Salong in northern Thailand. click picture to enlarge Accordingly, the SiamTea Clubbox No.2 offers 20g each of the following, in terms of taste and appearance distinct Oolong teas: 1. Wuyi Waishan “Ai Jiao” Dwarf Oolong No Wuyi “rock tea”, as it comes from Wuyishan’s less rocky, but no less fertile surrounding area. This makes it an oolong tea that is typical for its origin in the north of the southeast Chinese province of Fujian. Accordingly, its open-rolled leaf, medium to strong (multiple) roasting and an equal degree of oxidation are characteristic processing features. In terms of taste, the tea is characterized by the sweet dried fruit notes typical of the region’s oolong teas and the processing method, which blend seamlessly with mild roasted aromas to create a perfectly harmonious overall pattern beguiling the taste buds. 2. Bai Ya Qilan “White Buds” Oolong While Anxi County’s Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea is certainly South Fujian’s most popular oolong tea, I wanted to present the region in my “4 1 Origins” Oolong T-Box with a lesser-known, but all the more interesting representative. The just lightly oxidized, gently roasted tea comes from the Pinghe district in the south-eastern Chinese province of Fujian, where the year-round foggy high altitudes of the “Daqinshan” offer the special cultivar, which is not dissimilar to the “Tie Guan Yin” plant, optimal growing conditions . The tea got its name from the light color of its young spring buds (“Bai Ya”=”white bud”) on the one hand, and from its unique, velvety-sweet taste of orchid aroma (“Qilan”=”strange orchid”) reflected in the tea on the other. 3. Mi Lan Xiang Dancong Oolong “Dancong” means as much as “single bush”, representing a number of individual tea cultivars native to Guangdong’s Fehhuangshan (Phoenix Mountain) region. Of these, the Mi Lan Xiang (=”Honey Orchid Fragrance”) is not only the best known, but also the most popular one. This is because of its fine floral notes and the pronounced sweetness of honey, from which the tea takes its name. For best quality, picking of the (half-tree) tea bushes takes place only once a year in spring (beginning of April) for a short time. 4. Alishan Jin Xuan High Mountain Oolong Due to its milk-like taste, the unroasted, lightly oxidized oolong tea of Taiwan’s Jin Xuan cultivar is also known as “milk oolong”. Its characteristic taste properties best show in the oolong tea of the cultivar’s homeland, namely the high altitudes of Taiwan’s Alishan Mountains. The natural aroma of the tea, which grows in a natural tea garden at an altitude of 1500 meters, creates a unique taste composition of baked milk, vanilla and honey, complemented by delicate floral undertones reminiscent of orchids, lilacs and honeysuckle. 5. DMS Four Seasons Oolong The DMS Four Seasons Oolong Tea does not come from Taiwan, but from the Taiwanese “Si Ji Chun” (= “Four Seasons”) tea cultivar imported from Taiwan and cultivated in a natural tea garden in Doi Mae Salong, northern Thailand. In terms of taste, this hand-picked, only lightly oxidized and unroasted oolong tea offers the best of both worlds. That is, it combines the fresh, tart taste of green tea with a uniquely creamy dominant note reminiscent of peanut butter and the complexity typical of such Oolong teas. All in all, the DMS Si Ji Chun Four Seasons Oolong Tea is an inexpensive alternative in the top quality segment for tea lovers with highest demands. 6. Ancient Snow Shan Red Oolong The Wuyi-style multi-roasted, medium-oxidized oolong tea comes from leaves of over 100 years old “Tuyet Shan” tea trees thriving in their natural forest environment in the northern Vietnamese province of Ha Giang. The delicately spicy and intensely sweet fragrance of the dry tea leaf reflects in the complex taste profile of the crystal-clear transparent, bright red infusion in a composition of ripe fruits, aromatic woods and spicy roasted notes. For those interested in learning more about Oolong tea, its history and characteristic processing method, follow the link below: https://siamteas.com/tea-abc-tea-school/lesson-8-4-oolong-tea-processing/ Related