There are two styles of aged oolongs: ones that are left untouched as they age and ones that are roasted annually. The former creates rich notes of plum, while the latter amplifies and intensifies the original character of the tea.
Our Aged Lishan is one of the best examples of the roasted approach. The base tea is a true high mountain oolong from Lishan, acquired from the same grower who brings us our annual Lishan harvest. While most aged oolongs result from unsold surpluses, this tea was earmarked by the grower for aging from the very beginning. It is a private reserve tea, kept by the grower for his own family until our enthusiasm for it convinced him to share it with us. To say that availability is limited is an understatement: we were only given eight catties of this tea, totaling no more than ten pounds.
The tea's character is the result of both its innate character, and the nearly 17 years of long, low-temperature roasting given to the tea. Each year, the tea is taken out of storage and given a long four day roast. It is then cooled, tasted, and return to its air-tight container. This roasting approach creates incredible depth and complexity, and concentrates the intensity of the tea's finish, while fortifying it with caramel and coffee overtones.
BREWING GUIDE
Infuser Cup
Water Temp 205 ° F
Steep Time 2 min 30 sec
Tea Bowl
Water Temp 205 ° F
Gaiwan / Teapot (6 oz.)
Water Temp 205 ° F
Steep Time 2 min
Teapot (12 oz.)
Water Temp 205 ° F
Steep Time 3 min
In character, our Aged Lishan is most similar to older style, high oxidized and high fired Tieguanyins. We recommend brewing it to accentuate the finish and the aroma, using hotter water and longer steep times.
Begin with at least 6 grams of tea leaves in a Yixing or stoneware tea pot. Brew at about 205 degrees. Give the tea an initial 1 second rinse, then let steep for about 2 minutes. Decant tea when leaf clusters are half-way to two-thirds open. Steep the second infusion for 2 minutes, gradually increasing steep time for subsequent infusions.
