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| DYL 95K, spring 2025 |
Snow Oolong is the name of any Oolong that experienced snow on its plantation in winter, before the spring harvest. Snow Oolong is reputed to be superior to regular Oolong, because the snow has a positive on the aroma of the leaves. I see 2 rational explanations for this, but I don't know which one is the most important, because they are somehow contradictory. One reason is that snow and cold help the trees to get in a state of profound winter sleep. This helps them preserve their energy for the spring. In this explanation, the snow and cold are signals to the trees to rest very deeply.
The second reason is that snow is a stress, like strong drainage on the mountain slopes, and that this stress causes the tea trees to react positively by overperforming. Like tea trees fighting the jassids' bite produce fragrant honey aromas, trees who had to overcome the stress of snow would produce more vibrant fragrances and deeper aftertaste. Or, maybe, it's a combination of both? First, the snow rests the trees longer and better, and then it stresses the trees more when the temperatures end up rising considerably within a few weeks in spring?!
This year we had a long cold spring that delayed harvests in Alishan and Shan Lin Xi. However, the harvest dates in FuShou Shan and Da Yu Ling in the Li Shan region, are quite similar to 2024. There, in the Li Shan area, the late winter snow and the normal harvest dates mean that the spring 2025 teas are 'snow Oolongs' that have grown without delay.
I have only seen snow fall once in Taipei city in the 28 years I've lived on the island. And this snow melted away instantly at sea level. Snow is less unusual in Yang Ming Shan, the mountains north of Taipei (elevation 200 m to 1120 m). And in the Lishan region, there's snow on mount He Huan (3420 m) almost every winter. But the lower and more south you go, the less chance there is for snow on the tea plantations. So, 'snow Oolong' is not an automatic occurrence every spring, even in Lishan. And it's no guarantee that the Oolong will be exceptional. This spring's harvest season was quite rainy in Da Yu Ling. Picking the right day and time to harvest was a challenge and explains why quality can vary greatly from one batch to another..
This spring 2025 gives us a rare and delicious opportunity to enjoy 'snow Oolongs' from
DYL 104K,
Fushou Shan and
Tsui Feng! Enjoy them while supplies last...(These teas are just as rare as the finest Burgundy wines...)
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