Ali Shan Jinxuan oolong of Summer 2005

Tea: Jinxuan Oolong
Season: Summer 2005 (July 10)
Place: Ali Shan, 800 meters height (the street merchant was not very sure).
Price: medium
Tea set: White gaibei
Quantity: 150 ml
Water: Taiwanese mineral water (Yes)

A. View
Aspect of Dry leaves: Big, with stems.
Color of Dry leaves: Fresh green (light to dark) and some white.
Color of tea: Light yellow.
Clarity: Clear, normal residue level.
Aspect of open leaves: Complete leaves. Fermentation a little below average. Hand and machine picked.


B. Flavors
Dry leaves: Light cut grass.
Cover: Fresh cut grass.
Tea: Light tropical flowers
Warm leaves: Warm earth
Dry glass: Vanilla and flowery.


C. Taste:
Sweetness: Medium.
Lingering sweetness: Not very strong
Bitter/acid: Overwhelming bitterness. Heavy tongue and stomach feels uneasy.
Feeling in the throat: Little.
Lingering dry feeling: Light.

Other remarks: This is a very green tea, which can cause stomach ache if brewed too concentrated. The bitterness is a mark of the summer harvest. That's why few tea sellers admit to sell summer tea, since it is less good than spring or winter harvests.

Jinxuan oolong shines through its fresh flavors, whereas Luanze oolong has a deep, long-lasting taste. Nowadays, the Taiwanese oolong market preference tends to go toward a pleasing nose rather than nice taste. (A reason why farmers like jinxuan is that it grows quicker and can be harvested up to 5 times a year. 3 for luanze oolong). However, my tasting of Luanze and jinxuan oolong makes me prefer my selected Luanze oolong. I may add that most professionals I have met also prefer the traditional Luanze oolongs. So, can this jinxuan beat wenshan baozhong?