Our Tung Ting producer makes several other notable jade oolong-style teas, including this 4-Seasons Oolong. This specialty is manufactured from the fresh leaf of a Taiwanese tea bush cultivar – Si Ji Chun- for which the tea is named.
The Si Ji Chun cultivar thrives in mid-level elevation gardens in the Nantou area. The winter pluck of 4-Seasons oolong is considered the best seasonal production of the year for fragrance while spring plucks have the best flavor. But as the taste and flavor is so good all year long, this tea is known in Taiwan as 4-Seasons Oolong. Tea enthusiasts in Taiwan have access to oolong made from this cultivar every month, as many gardens offer that. Because we are halfway around the world, we offer two manufactures: the spring and the winter, to correspond to our other fine Taiwan oolong selections that are produced twice yearly.
Our 4-Seasons Oolong is impeccably made and this tea is very clean and bright. This tea is sweet, thick and buttery in the cup, and has an enticing floral aspect that is so very characteristic of Taiwan jade oolongs. It is less ‘minerally’ in taste than our gao shan oolongs but the softer, more buttery style is very pleasant to drink. The Si Ji Chun varietal is historically one of the popular cultivars (if not the most popular) drunk by the Taiwanese and is very competitive on the domestic market.
The price reflects a little savings over the more expensive cultivars and higher elevation oolongs (the gao shan), and reflects a gap that would be smaller on the domestic market (this tea is more expensive there than here). All in all, this is a delicious introduction to Taiwan jade oolongs and a lovely tea in its own right.