There is an old saying regarding Taiwanese Oolong growing regions - "North Baozhong, South Dong Ding," which indicates the classical representation of Taiwanese Oolong teas from south to north. For classical southern Oolong, it is Dong Ding; but for classical northern Oolong, it will be Baozhong. That is the prominence Baozhong has in the world of oolong. Indeed, the name "Baozhong" is the scientific name for oolong teas. 
 
But this old saying, despite popular, might not be that old, as we discovered this year. The history of Dong Ding Oolong is probably not as old as the legend goes, with over one hundred years of history. In fact, Dong Ding area was probably not a prominent tea producing area before the Japanese finally was able to hold control of the entire island. The style of processing and roasting technique was probably not even matured until 1960s. We will write an blog article to clarify the interesting tea history of Taiwan one day. 
 
Although not as famous as the classical "Wenshan Baozhong," this Baozhong oolong from Shihding took us by surprise in 2016.  A typical Baozhong should have a clean and light taste, but this Baozhong is relatively "thick" compared to anything we have encountered before. We are not sure whether it is because of the vibrant plantation it was harvested from, or because of the very rare varietal "the Egret 17" was used to make this Baozhong, that offers a very sweet note with a "honey yam" taste.
 
And this year's Egret 17 Baozhong, will be our "Tea of the Year." This may sound bold to some people, since the winter tea is not even out yet! We thought the one from last year already re-defines the category of Baozhong oolong, but this year, thanks to its very unusual weather, again re-defines our idea for Baozhong oolong because of the heavy bug-bittenness and most importantly, an heavier oxidation to bring out the absolutely stunning aroma. We are more than happy to have this tea being selected into our grand collection. And please, if you are not a fan of any oolong tea, we are confident that this will be the one to begin with!
 
 
Harvest:  Spring 2017 / 春 貳零壹柒
Varietal:  White Egret #17 / 白鷺十七號
Elevation: 450 M / 肆佰伍拾 公尺
Region:  Shihding / 石碇
Oxidation Level:  30% / 分之 參拾 
Roast Level:  0 / 無
 
 
<img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0841/7723/files/lucy_avatar_7623016e-50d8-404b-95b2-560e78d3e1e4_thumb.jpg?541906650290190523">  I have always felt Baozhong is something special, not a traditional Jade oolong, but definitely not a green tea either.  I love the traditional Bao Zhong we offer, but this Egret is something different and special.  It's very thick, very fruity and sweet and a touch of bitter/astringent.  The feeling in the mouth lasts long after drinking and the aroma from start to finish is very strong and pungent.  Very impressive and unique Bao Zhong that's worth trying and for many will become a beloved companion.  
 
<img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0841/7723/files/ken_large_thumb.jpg?541906650290190523">  Beautiful honey-sweet dry leaf aroma in the preheated vessel. Sweet floral and honey wet leaf aroma with rich buttery baozhong undertones. Have to say, it is refreshingly exquisite. Right off the bat this tea is delightfully full bodied and complex. I enjoyed steeping it with temperatures around 185f to 190f. This baozhong has everything...sweet rich body with high floral aftertaste that keeps your palate engaged. I am particularly happy to find this in our lineup. Baozhong like this contributes to some of my favorite tea drinking! You won't want to miss this one.
 
<img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0841/7723/files/DSC04639-2_large_d306c107-93a4-4d83-9eba-3fc15f3939bc_thumb.jpg?541906650290190523"> This tea is quite sensational to an old dog. That is the only sentence an old dog could think of when he was drinking it. An old dog thought no more Taiwanese teas could bring anymore to an old dog's palate. No more. Sure, teas are all delicious and unique when it was finally being selected to Taiwan Sourcing, but an old dog was not too surprised. We have the best Taiwanese teas, of course, but the magic of this tea was that it was able to make an old dog being a bit excited. The feeling of "Whoa this is it!" came up once the aroma was being sensed. It's like nothing an old dog had ever seen before. An old dog was fortunate to have some very old and special Baozhong in his dog life, and they were wonderful. But this thing is a definite bless from the nature and probably the culture of Baozhong Oolong. As you might know, Baozhong Oolong, like Oriental Beauty, were the two oldest tea processing varietal in Taiwan. They are the witnesses of the history of Taiwanese tea. Anyway, this tea is something that probably had never shown up before, and even if it had, probably very very few people had the fortune to try it. An old dog is so excitedly glad that Taiwan Sourcing is able to present this type of rare and iconic special tea to the people who love Taiwanese tea around the globe. That is the core idea of Taiwan Sourcing, and this tea is probably one of the best to deliver that duty and love to you. Thank you people who have been supporting Taiwan Sourcing in the past two years, this will be our gift to you.

Egret 17 Bug Bitten Premium Baozhong Oolong Tea - Spring 2017

oolong tea by Taiwan Sourcing

25 grams

$12.50

Out of stock

75 grams

$35.00

Out of stock

150 grams

$66.00

Out of stock