Day 2:
Spring 2021 Da Yu Ling 104K high mountain Oolong!
The November Challenge continues and brings us to the highest Oolong plantation in Taiwan, Da Yu Ling 104K, a small farm that tries not to be too noticed (since the higher farms got uprooted in the name of environment protection, unless it was lack of political protection!) So, this farmer takes a different and humbler approach. He doesn't claim he's the highest and best. He lets his leaves do it for him!!
I'm using
this Yixing modern zhuni Duo Qio teapot to brew the lightly oxidized Oolong. My
Chabu aims at bringing some freshness on a very sunny day!
Perfect first cup. Clean, crisp and pure.
For the second brew, I pour slowly and manage to take two pictures! After 20 years of experience, this is the kind of gongfu that I have acquired! Don't try that at home, kids!
The color of the leaves is so fresh and green! It's as if they had just been harvested! This is a big advantage of top high mountain Oolong compared to green tea: the freshness is much better preserved, thanks to both the light oxidation and the rolled shape of the leaves that enable a tight vacuum seal. Baozhong, on the other hand, changes faster....
The second brew brings the same magic. It combines finesse and force, warmth and freshness, purity and aftertaste. My advice for brewing this high mountain Oolong to perfection is very different from
yesterday's Shan Lin Xi. In my experience, with
DYL 104K, less is more, so I would use fewer leaves than usual. However, I would push the brew longer to compensate for the reduced amount of leaves, but not too much. You still want to obtain a light green color.in the cup.
The colors of this Chaxi remind me the colors of
my visit of Tian Chi, not very far away from DYL...Drinking tea is always bringing a part of you to the high mountain peaks!
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