High Mountain Oolong Spring 2014

[hobnob]

Hi everybody,

Not been posting much but been busy drinking all the tea I stockpiled last year

Are there any ideas about what this year's crop is like? I'm particularly interested in Dayuling and Fushoushan.

Thanks

[the_economist]

I'm waiting for a couple from Origintea. Will report when it gets here. I generally like winter gaoshans more than spring ones though...

[wyardley]

Haven't tried any this year, but Shiuwen posted about her spring stock, and mentioned less than ideal weather:
http://floatingleavestea.blogspot.com/2 ... olong.html
I actually find that some farmers seem to oxidize the tea a bit more when the weather isn't ideal, so I'm wondering if I'll actually like this season's tea.

[Tead Off]

Haven't tried any this year, but Shiuwen posted about her spring stock, and mentioned less than ideal weather:
http://floatingleavestea.blogspot.com/2 ... olong.html
I actually find that some farmers seem to oxidize the tea a bit more when the weather isn't ideal, so I'm wondering if I'll actually like this season's tea.

Supposedly, last winter's harvest was less than stellar. But, the Long Feng Xia from Origin is terrific. Lots of variation in micro-climates.

[wyardley]

Josh from J-Tea also posted about the weather
http://j-tea.blogspot.com/2014/05/sprin ... -2014.html

[hobnob]

Thanks for the replies guys
Hopefully there will be a few top end offerings at least!

[茶藝-TeaArt08]

I returned from a month in Taiwan visiting farms throughout the island at the beginning of May. Everywhere we went the discussion was about weather. And yes, winter was also this way.

Having just returned from World Tea Expo I had a lot of conversations in Mandarin with Taiwanese friends, farmers, and others about this. If you look on Taiwan Tea Crafts' site I believe Philip discusses this in a blog or email post. When I was there the picking was pushed off and waiting in the Shan Lin Xi and Long Feng Xia areas about two to three weeks later than "normal." Picking began roughly in the first week of May in the Shan Lin Xi area.

I just met with Philip of Taiwan Tea Crafts to sample the spring teas in a great cupping session in his hotel in Long Beach. Every tea I tried was good, some were excpetional. Taiwan Tea Crafts did not buy some of their normal Lishan area (Dayuling and Fushoushan) teas due to the weather (too wet and rainy at precisely the wrong time). I did however drink a Lishan Cui Feng tea (Lot 320) that I found very nice from Taiwan Tea Crafts.

Not every region was in difficulty this way though. I was in Pinglin and the weather for baozhong was good and we purchased really nice baozhong tea as well as good red and Tie Guan Yin teas from the Muzha area. The weather for Shan Lin Xi has been fine. I sampled TTC's Long Feng Xia and it is a great sample of the region and tea. It's up on their website now.

So, not every area was hit the same way and I trust that there will be some good teas that people got their hands on. But these last two years in Taiwan the talk has been about the weather during both spring and winter harvests.

Gratefully, the tea closet is full right now and we aren't looking to pick up any new teas. However, I am curious to hear what other quality spring teas people have picked up.

Blessings!

*EDIT: here is the link for the spring teas: http://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/shop/pro ... pWSvC.dpbs

[tingjunkie]

Thanks for the thorough review TeaArt! Been wondering myself.