DYL 102K, Winter 2016

Winter 2016 DYL 102K Oolong

The name of this tea is like a Da Vinci code for the cognescenti. DYL stands for Da Yu Ling. 102K stands for the kilometer 102 on the road No 8, the location of the plantation. The bigger this number, the higher the elevation, the more sought (and expensive) is its tea.

DYL produces not only the most sought after high mountain Oolong, it also sees its plantations returned to public land and be uprooted. It takes skill, good connections and serious money to purchase what is getting rarer and is considered today's most outstanding Formosa Oolong. So, it's with good fortune that I'm glad to introduce this winter's harvest from October 25th.

My Chaxi is shaped like a mountain covered with dark green/blue vegetation. The pine trees occupy the highest locations, while the lighter bamboos can be found further below. The white Nilu represents a white cypress.

Da Yu Ling Plantation

Light celadon singing cups emphasize the lightness of the aromas on the lip and the fresh green/yellow hue of the brew.

There's another reason I'm using this Obi as Chabu. It's the one I used last time I had tea with Geneviève Meylan, a Swiss ceramist. I met her again last Saturday and she gifted me this white bowl:

It often snows on the peaks of DYL in winter...

I'm using it for my waste water and it provides a special connection with a fellow tea friend on my Chaxi. Being French and abroad, I thought the green mark inside the bowl represents a green Eiffel tower. My wife saw a heart. What do you see? Geneviève told me that for her it's a ginkgo leaf, her favorite plant!

The connections to nature and freshness are numerous on this Chaxi. They go well with the powerful and pure aromas of this Da Yu Ling winter Oolong! The tea conveys a "Champagne feeling" of happiness and lightness that resonates on the palate for a long time.