Spring 2020 Taiwan top High Mountain Qingxin Oolongs

Qingxin Oolong in ChangShuHu, Alishan, May 2020

It's always almost summer when the spring season for high mountain Oolongs comes to a close. The last harvests come from the highest peaks in the Lishan area. This year, the conditions there were particularly tough in the highest mountains. Late spring frost has damaged several tea gardens there. Luckily, I was able to select the Da Yu Ling from the 98K plantation and the Tian Chi Oolong from the famous FuShou Shan farm (the unofficial provider of the presidential palace)! And I also selected an Oolong from the Qilai Shan. All these 3 Oolongs come from plantations located above 2000 meters! They are as good as it gets for Taiwan Gao Shan Cha!

Qilai Shan, spring

The Qilai Shan is the most affordable of the 3, but feels particularly rocky and thick. The DYL and the TianChi are sweeter and closer in terms of geography and scents.

These high mountain Oolongs are so well made that the Qilai I'm tasting here is from the spring 2017! It's amazing how stable it is and how well it has kept its freshness.

I love how the tea enables you to focus on what's essential: taste and beauty.

June is simply the best season to enjoy Oolong in the early hours of the day. That's when the most generous and beautiful light comes on my Chaxi. I am so glad that I woke up early for this Chaxi! The world feels calm and silent before 6AM, but the sun already brings so much positive energy and hope. And with these top of the mountains Oolongs, one feels at the top of the world...

This moment of silence, purity and beauty is an amazing way to start the day! The picture below captured the spirit of that moment: