Taiwan Ali Shan Oolong Tea

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Oolong Tea Leaves
Flavors
Floral, Flowers, Grass, Osmanthus, Sour, Butter, Citrus, Cream, Cucumber, Custard, Gardenias, Honeysuckle, Mineral, Vanilla
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Cameron B.
Average preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 6 g 4 oz / 116 ml

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4 Tasting Notes View all

  • “2021 Harvest First time trying out last night, and I was very happy with it so far. Huge, bulbous leaves heavy with intensely creamy florals. Visually, I kept on getting purple, blue, white, and...” Read full tasting note
  • “Generally, I find Taiwanese oolongs to be a fairly safe bet. They are rarely flops. For some reason, this tea just doesn’t do it for me though. I don’t know if it’s just this batch or since I...” Read full tasting note
    67
  • “A consistent winner from What-cha and a great tea to introduce anyone into Taiwan oolongs. This has been a staple in my pantry for a couple of years now and I am still not tired of it. I like...” Read full tasting note
    85
  • “It seems I can’t refrain from hitting the Taiwanese high mountain oolongs these days. After having an oolong from Fushou Shan yesterday evening, I had to go with an Ali Shan today. Before I get to...” Read full tasting note
    92

From What-Cha

A floral aroma and taste combined with a smooth texture and vegetal notes.

Sourced from a different source than last year, this Ali Shan Oolong features a slightly lower level oxidisation.

Tasting Notes:
- Smooth texture
- Floral aroma and taste with vegetal notes

Harvest: Spring, late April 2016

Origin: Ali Shan, Jia Yi county, Taiwan
Altitude: 1,200-1,300m
Sourced: Specialist Taiwanese wholesaler

Cultivar: Qing Xin
Oxidisation: 15-20%
Roast: 0%

Brewing Advice:
- Heat water to roughly 85°C/185°F
- Use 1 teaspoon per cup/small teapot
- Brew for 1-2 minutes

Packaging: Resealable ziplock bag

About What-Cha View company

Company description not available.

4 Tasting Notes

1704 tasting notes

2021 Harvest
First time trying out last night, and I was very happy with it so far. Huge, bulbous leaves heavy with intensely creamy florals. Visually, I kept on getting purple, blue, white, and yellow flowers in the taste and aroma. The flavor is extremely faint and light, but the texture is viscous while having just the right amount of floral flavor to taste like a light milky custard. Again, not straightforward in the flavor, but blooming in fragrance with some sweetness in taste.

Not rating it yet, but I like it. Only really down side is it does not last long. I only got 5cups using 1 min, 2 min, 3, 4, and 5, 5 being fiant.

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67
943 tasting notes

Generally, I find Taiwanese oolongs to be a fairly safe bet. They are rarely flops. For some reason, this tea just doesn’t do it for me though. I don’t know if it’s just this batch or since I haven’t had other ones.

The aromas and flavours are fairly weak, the only distinctive note being an osmanthus scent. The taste is somewhat more sour than I am used to, but otherwise doesn’t really stand out in any way and the same can be said about the mouthfeel. There is a cooling aftertaste with a persisting sourness and quite a strong defocusing cha qi.

I don’t, maybe it’s just me. If my impression changes as I finish my pack, I will update the note.

Flavors: Floral, Flowers, Grass, Osmanthus, Sour

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 4 OZ / 130 ML

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85
13 tasting notes

A consistent winner from What-cha and a great tea to introduce anyone into Taiwan oolongs. This has been a staple in my pantry for a couple of years now and I am still not tired of it. I like that the mouth feel ramps up quickly.
Full review at Tea Spren http://wp.me/p6ZNcy-z

Flavors: Floral

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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92
1048 tasting notes

It seems I can’t refrain from hitting the Taiwanese high mountain oolongs these days. After having an oolong from Fushou Shan yesterday evening, I had to go with an Ali Shan today. Before I get to the tea itself, allow me to state that I have been guilty of displaying tremendous ambivalence toward Ali Shan oolongs in the past. For some reason, I have always found them to be predictable, lightweight, and boring. This tea forced me to reevaluate my leanings toward these teas.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 176 F water for 10 seconds. I was a little confused over the water temperature. The sample pouch suggested 176 F, but What-Cha’s website suggested 185 F. I ultimately went with the water temperature suggested on the sample pouch. The initial infusion was followed by 11 subsequent infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves gave off pleasant aromas of butter, cream, vanilla, grass, and flowers. After the rinse, the butter, cream, and vanilla aromas intensified. They were joined by a subtle scent of custard as aromas of gardenia, lilac, and honeysuckle emerged. The first infusion produced a more balanced aroma with a stronger custard presence. In the mouth, the liquor was very smooth and savory. I detected notes of butter, cream, custard, vanilla, and grass balanced by traces of gardenia, lilac, and honeysuckle. Subsequent infusions saw the impressions of honeysuckle, gardenia, and lilac intensify. Aromas and flavors of tangerine, cucumber, magnolia, and minerals also emerged. Later infusions were dominated by butter, cream, grass, and minerals underscored by tangerine and a distant floral presence.

This was an interesting oolong. I’m used to Ali Shan oolongs that are kind of slight and lacking in staying power, but this one went the distance. While the aroma and flavor profiles were neither particularly complex nor anything out of the ordinary for a high mountain oolong, they were very pleasant. This tea also displayed a light, yet subtly textured body, and it provided a gentle, immediate calming sensation that was highly enjoyable. For me, this one was a winner. What-Cha’s Taiwanese oolongs continue to impress me.

Flavors: Butter, Citrus, Cream, Cucumber, Custard, Floral, Gardenias, Grass, Honeysuckle, Mineral, Vanilla

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Daylon R Thomas

How does it compare to the Li Shan? I’ve been tempted to get it, but decide not to thinking that it might be a hint too vegetal.

eastkyteaguy

Daylon, I found it to compare pretty well to the Li Shan. Of the two, I prefer the Li Shan. I found it to be more balanced. To me, this tea was a little sweeter and more savory. I think both are very good, but I still prefer the Li Shan.

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