Dong Pian - Si Ji Chun Oolong

I wish you a happy New Year 2013! 

Winds of change, blow away the clouds,

Tea happiness clears the mind.

Let's start the new year with a Taiwanese tea oddity: Dong Pian, winter petals!

Cultivar: Si Ji Chun - 4 seasons spring
Origin: Zhu Shan, low elevation.
Harvested by hand on December 22nd, 2012.
Light oxidized and unroasted Oolong.

Competition brewing: 3 grams and 6 minutes.

Excellent clarity of the brew!

Si Ji Chun is a low elevation and high yield cultivar. As its name indicates, its scents are flowery and spring-like in all 4 seasons. Most of the time, this fragrant tea also smells somewhat rough and feels less elegant than Jinxuan or Jade Oolong. However, the late winter harvest is able to bring out the most refined scents and sweet tastes from Si Ji Chun Oolong!

Usually, the tea trees simply rest in winter. But if the sun shines for several days, the trees mistake this for the arrival of spring and produce buds and fresh young leaves. The cold nights resemble the high mountain climate and help to preserve the freshness and finesse of these leaves.

The result is a perfect combination of a powerful bouquet of fresh cut flowers and a light, sweet, buttery taste. It feels pure and bright like Gabrielle Aplin's cover of 'The Power of Love'!