2009 Summer Oriental Beauty Oolong from Taiwan

Yesterday, in Hsin Chu county, a small harvest in an organic tea plantation.

Notice the many flowers and high grass between the bushes. It's not as high as in the abandoned plantation that I've seen lately, but still quite high. The farmer slowly cuts these plants with a light grass trimmer. This is a good sign of organic farming.

There is one Oolong in particular that demands this kind of attention: Oriental Beauty. Why? Because it needs the bite of small green jassids for its special taste. (See also this article for more details). And, very quickly, I was able to find one on this big leaf below:

I've selected 3(*) Oriental Beauty Oolongs of different grades this year.

On the left, this high quality grade comes from Hsin Chu county. Its cultivar is Qingxin Dapa. Harvested by hand on June 19, 2009. Single batch of 12 kg.

Competition style testing:

The brew has a light orange/gold color. Very clear and shiny.

The fragrance displays the characteristics of the jassid bite. Very pure smells, feminine and light.

The taste is sweet, calm and honey like. Almost flawless.

Brewing tip: longer infusion times instead of more leaves. Porcelain vessel.

The second Oriental Beauty comes from San Hsia. Its cultivar is Qingxin Ganzhong. Hand harvested early June from the same field as my Bi Luo Chun. It's a single batch as well.

The brew has a darker red color. Still clear, but a little less.

Fragrances are stronger, more exuberant and complex, but less refined also.

The taste is sweet and also slightly astringent. Its character is more masculine.

Brewing tip: more leaves and shorter infusions. You may also consider using an Yixing teapot to mellow its edges.

This San Hsia Oriental Beauty is cheaper than the one from Hsin Chu and good value if brewed with care.
Left: Hsin Chun, Right: San Hsia.

The close up on the open leaves shows that both have been bitten by the tea jassids:
This is one probably the only summer insect bite that makes so happy!

Picture of the second brew.

* I will introduce the top OB from Hsin Chu in another article.

Note: this was post number 1000! And I'm glad it was dedicated to this very special Oolong.

Taken from http://teamasters.blogspot.com/