1999 Mingjian Wuyi Hong Oolong

Archive Oolong from Taiwan

A beautifully aged tea from the collection of tea master Mr. Atong Chen from Taiwan. Archival, traditionally processed oolong from Wuyi cultivar bushes grown in Mingjian in Nantou County in the central part of the island. Regularly rolled, dark brown leaves of rich spicy, sweet balsamic aroma with notes of cedar, cinnamon and sandalwood. A dark brown infusion of beautifully balanced, deep and complex flavors with a rich aroma of sweet spices with a predominance of cloves and cinnamon, notes of resin, dried dates and forest honey with a slight cooling trace of liquorice and camphor in the aftertaste of the later infusions. The tea can take an unexpectedly large amount of these.

Preparation of Mingjian Wuyi Hong Oolong

These tea leaves are suitable for Asian-style preparation, which includes multiple infusions: you steep 5 grams of tea leaves per 150 ml of water that has boiled and cooled to 85–90 °C for 30 seconds, and in the following three infusions, you steep the leaves for 40, 60, and 90 seconds, respectively. Feel free to experiment with steeping time, water temperature, and the amount of tea leaves. You can also read our articles on tea preparation and water quality.

The tea was processed in the same way as traditional oolong. After plucking, the leaves were withering outside and inside, then shaken in rotating drums, when the edge of the tea leaves is disturbed, which then oxidize more intensely. At this point, the traditional oolongs are heated to stop the oxidation. In the case of this tea, however, this is followed by further rolling, where the texture of the processed leaves is further intensified, whereupon the tea continues to darken and oxidize in a similar way to black teas. Only then does the final drying and shaping take place. The tea has been stored in Taiwan for the entire period.