This delightful High Mountain Tea comes from the hills of Ruili Village in Taiwan Alishan and is grown and harvested in the spring season. Seasonal tea (spring or winter) is considered premium grade compared to the more common all-year round variety as the plants are given time to develop and mature. Spring tea is known for its aromatic qualities and intricate flavours. This, coupled with the way each farmer applies his own skills to extract the desired flavours from the tea, gives this harvest a truly special character.

This particular spring tea is cultivated on the northern side of the Alishan mountain. The village is over 1,000 m (3,280 feet) above sea level and it is famous for its breath-taking sceneries and tea farms. I only managed to acquire a small quantity as the harvest is limited, typical of the family-run farms on the mountain. I chose it as it truly reflects the splendour of High Mountain Tea. It has a buttery floral flavour, a mellow silky texture and a sweet, fruity aftertaste that I am sure will captivate old and new Oolong tea lovers alike. It can be infused many times without losing much of its flavour or turning astringent, typical of high grade tea. The farm recently switched to using organic fertiliser. I find the brew is a touch sweeter and a more prominent nutty aroma.

This handpicked tea comes as loose leaf and is vacuum-packed direct at the farm for freshness.

Read how I select my tea »

Note: External product packaging may vary due to season and availability.

Use 2 to 3 teaspoons of tea leaf with 120 ml of near boiling water.

Put tea leaf in a pot and do a quick rinse with hot water. Discard the liquid.
Steep the tea leaf with hot water for 30 to 40 secs and pour into drinking cup or pitcher.
Repeat the steeping and mix the brews together.

Now you have a great tasting cup of tea with amazing fragrant aroma.

View my detail guide here »

With the passing of winter in Taiwan comes this highly anticipated Winter High Mountain Tea. Winter tea is regarded to be the purest expression of High Mountain Oolong. If offers a distinct flavour due to the tea leaves maturing under the cold mountain temperature. Seasonal tea (spring or winter) is considered premium grade compared to the more common all-year round variety as the tea bush is given time to develop and mature.

This harvest comes from a farm in ChiaYi County in the mountains of Alishan (elevation over 1,000 m) and has a rich yellow colour and carries a sweet caramel aroma. The taste is well balanced, purer and it has a fuller body as the larger winter leaves gradually release their flavour with each subsequent brew. I like the subtlety of the tea compared to the spring variety, and how it carries a lingering, nutty sweetness in your tongue.

This handpicked tea comes as loose leaf and is vacuum-packed direct at the farm for freshness. You can also choose the convenient tea bag option which is the same loose leaf tea packed into individually sealed, silk tea bags if you like your tea on-the-go (view it in my store Winter Harvest in Tea Bag).

How I select my tea »

Note: External product packaging may vary due to season and availability.

Use 2 to 3 teaspoons of tea leaf with 120 ml of near boiling water.

Put tea leaf in a pot and do a quick rinse with hot water. Discard the liquid.
Steep the tea leaf with hot water for 30 to 40 secs and pour into drinking cup or pitcher.
Repeat the steeping and mix the brews together.

Now you have a great tasting cup of tea with amazing fragrant aroma.

View step-by-step guide here »

This High Mountain Tea will be a delight for those who are after a high grade, flavoursome Oolong tea that is grown using organic farming and produced free of chemical and pesticides.

This spring tea is from ShiZhuo district in Taiwan Alishan and offers the same unique, sublime flavour common to premium teas produced in this famous alpine region. Mr Wang, the owner of the farm (pictured here) went through great length to locate his farm on the steep mountainside to ensure there is no cross-contamination from neighbours, as even a little breeze can carry pesticides across. The extent of carefulness is required to pass the certification test for 488 commonly used pesticides.

The mid-season tea is harvested in between seasons and carry the unique flavour of both spring and winter. It is an affordable alternative for tea lovers who enjoy premium organic Alishan tea.

The harvest is golden yellow in colour and carries a sweet orchid fragrance, a smooth texture with a mellow fruity undertone. It is an amazing harvest that is both inspiring and relaxing at the same time, a unique flavour that one has to try to believe. I use an aroma cup when I brew this tea just to savour the exquisite fragrance.

This handpicked tea comes as loose leaf and is vacuum-packed direct at the farm for freshness.

Read how I select my tea »

Note: External product packaging may vary depending on season and availability.

Organic farming for High Mountain Tea is relatively new and it is a difficult journey to embark on as it requires significantly more work to start with (i.e. proper location on the steep terrain) and the cost of production is generally 2 – 3 times higher than normal tea. The plantations I choose are either certified organic farms or at the very least uses organic fertilizers. Their price points will be different but my intention is that everyone should be able to enjoy organically grown tea regardless. I believe that organic produce is the way of the future for this world to be sustainable, both from a health and ecological perspective.

No pesticide is used on the farm

Harvesting the organic High Mountain Tea

Use 2 to 3 teaspoons of tea leaf with 120 ml of near boiling water.

Put tea leaf in a pot and do a quick rinse with hot water. Discard the liquid.
Steep the tea leaf with hot water for 30 to 40 secs and pour into drinking cup or pitcher.
Repeat the steeping and mix the brews together.

Now you have a great tasting cup of tea with amazing fragrant aroma.

View my detail guide here »

Full 12-page Product Test Report

Now we can enjoy the flavour and aroma of High Mountain Tea on the go. We have packed the goodness of this exquisite tea into convenient pyramid tea bags so that you can enjoy its refreshing tastes anytime, anywhere.

High Mountain Tea is not another green tea, neither is it another Oolong tea. It is unique in the way that it is grown, harvested and produced. Daniel Reid in his book The Art and Alchemy of Chinese Tea devoted half of it to explain the virtues and characteristics of this amazing tea. He wrote, "Once you've tasted a fine grade of High Mountain Oolong, properly prepared the traditional Chinese way, you will know exactly what makes it so special."

This is a winter harvest that comes from a farm in ChiaYi County in the mountains of Alishan (elevation over 1,000 m) and has a rich yellow colour and carries a sweet caramel aroma. You can enjoy it hot or cold due to the high quality tea leaves. During summer I will put one tea bag into a bottle of mineral water and keep in the fridge overnight for an amazing, refreshing drink the next day. 

This handpicked tea is packed direct at the farm for freshness. It comes in a box of 25 individually sealed, pyramid-shaped, silk tea bags. Each tea bag holds approximately 4 grams of genuine loose leaf winter tea and it can be re-steeped multiple times due to its quality.

How I select my tea »

Place one tea bag into a cup, add hot water for a quick rinse and discard the liquid. Add hot water again, steep for 2 minutes (or to taste) and it's ready to serve. For a second cup just repeat the steeping, one tea bag is good for at least 2 to 3 brews.

To make ice tea, just push a tea bag into a bottle of mineral water and leave it in the fridge overnight for a refreshing cup of ice-cold oolong to take anywhere!