Review: Eco-Cha Taiwan Tea Tour

The lovely people over at Eco-Cha were kind enough to send me their Taiwan Tea Tour collection for review a couple of weeks ago. This was my first experience with high-quality Taiwan oolong teas and I was not disappointed! 

Taiwan is known for producing high-quality tea. Many of their teas are grown in the high mountains or other prized areas. When drinking Taiwan oolong tea, it's not uncommon to know the exact mountain the tea was grown on, or a bit about the growers themselves. Talk about connection! 

For more detailed information on Taiwan's oolong teas, check out this blog post by TeaDB. 

Eco-Cha's Taiwan Tea Tour collection is great for beginners. It's a sampling of five teas, each with their own information card detailing flavors, elevation, brewing suggestions, and other interesting facts. 

Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea 

This tea was one of my favorites. It was grown by a husband and wife who turned their bamboo forest into a tea garden just ten years ago. This particular tea was hand-picked in May of 2014. It was grown at 1525 meters, qualifying it as a high mountain tea. 

Dry, this tea had notes of butter - it was mellow, Earthy, and very pleasing. While brewing, I also picked up grassy notes. Upon tasting for the first time, the word "forest" popped immediately into my mind. This tea is very fragrant and enjoyable. I prefer my tea hot, but I could see this one being a good summertime cold brew as well. It reminded me of a spring forest day, and it's one that I'll be ordering again! 

Jin Xuan Oolong Tea

This tea is grown by an award-winning artisan in Taiwan. He won first place twice in the past, and it's easy to see why when sipping his Jin Xuan tea. 

This tea was grown lower, at 400 meters. It was harvested in April of 2014. (I just love knowing that!) I wasn't sure what to think when I smelled it for the first time. It had a pleasant smell of roasted squash and butter, but I have never associated such smells with my tea. While brewing, I picked up more interesting smells, like forest, freshly-baked bread, and hay. I peeked down in my cup to see it was transforming the water into a pretty, pale yellow-green color. This was a light, pleasant-tasting tea. It was smooth and dry with a light butter finish. It reminded me of a summer day in hay fields and under the sunshine. 

Tsui Yu Jade Oolong Tea

Halfway through my experience, I kept thinking "No, THIS one is my favorite!" Such is the same with the Tsui Yu Jade. I believe this was grown by the same artisan that grew the Jin Xuan. If so, there's a reason two of his teas are in this collection. Amazing! 

This tea was grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or weed killers, which is something that I really appreciate when looking for a tea. It was harvested in Spring of 2014. 

Dry, this tea smelled green, herbal, and slightly flowery. It had the same refreshing smell while brewing. Drinking, though, was something else. It was light and refreshing with its Earthy tones of herbs and flowers. It tasted of a spring meadow.

Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine Oolong Tea

I found the story behind this tea to be especially interesting. Concubine tea is also referred to as "bug bitten tea." Its unique flavors are a result of the natural farming methods used to grow the tea, allowing insects to bite the tea leaves and kick-start the fermentation process. This tea was the only one in the collection harvested in the summer. (2013) This is partially because summer teas are known to be less fragrant and more bitter. I can say that with the Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine tea, this is not the case. Thank you insects! 

This tea did have a unique smell. It was hard for me to pinpoint a flavor. It had a strong roast scent that became more rich and Earthy while brewing. It tasted fantastic. It has a dry, robust taste compared to the other oolongs, and reminded me of pine. 

Dong Ding Oolong Tea

Last but not least, we have Dong Ding oolong tea! Yes, it's a silly name and it reminds me of the Wizard of Oz, so let's just mention that now. 

This tea was grown in Yong Long Village, which is above Dong Ding Mountain at 750 meters. One of the distinguishing characteristics of this area is it's rich red soil and concentration of artisans. It was harvested in Spring of 2014. Dry, this tea had a mellow smell of cherry and roasted squash. While brewing, I picked up more notes, like artichoke and nuts. Again, it tasted wonderful. It was very bold and I imagine it as a great winter tea. 

After completing my tea tour of Taiwan, I briefly wondered if I'd ever be able to drink my other teas again or if Eco-Cha had turned me into the tea snob of all tea snobs. Thankfully, I had an iced tea from a local tea shop yesterday and enjoyed it just the same. However, there will always be room in my tea cabinet for Taiwanese oolong tea. Happy sipping! 

Do you have a tea, or other eco-friendly product you'd like featured on Earth First? Contact Tiffany at earthfirst87@gmail.com