Ever Spring Oolong Tea – Si Ji Chun

Ever Spring low-oxidation oolong tea comes from the Nantou region on the island of Taiwan and owes its name precisely to the area where its plants grow. At an altitude of about 1,200 meters in the northeast of this region, where the camellia cultivar si ji chun which translated means “all seasons like spring,” there are several streams that generate enough mist to always maintain a pleasant spring-like cool temperature and can protect plantations from direct sunlight.

These climatic conditions allow the leaf to give already quite elaborate in-cup flavors and aromas for which a low level of oxidation is chosen to preserve them as much as possible unaltered from the plant to the liquor. Because of its processing, this tea shows when dry, a leaf rolled on itself, which, however, already has a distinct vegetal aroma.

Tasting – Sight and smell

The leaves of Ever Spring oolong tea have a rather tight rolled shape. The color is a bright dark green with jade green hues and ochre tints at the stems. Once infused, the leaves release floral and sweet, almost milky aromas, with more vegetal and herbaceous end notes and a freshness reminiscent of basil. As the leaves are opened in both the teapot and the gaiwan, moreover, it can be seen that the margins are reddish due to the particular process and particularly the shaking and denting steps, which give the leaves an initial beginning of oxidation. In the cup, the color is pale yellow, very clear and bright.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA

The first infusion of Ever Spring oolong tea is very delicate: it has the sweetness of white granulated sugar and still shy floral notes, which emerge more strongly in the second infusion. Here the floral bouquet becomes more pronounced and flowers such as lily of the valley, gardenia and orchid stand out, with an extremely fresh feel on the palate. Sweet, milky hints reminiscent of cream are also detected. With the third and subsequent infusions, the body becomes thicker and oilier: the sweetness that can be felt is now as full-bodied as custard, and the milky hints are much more evident. Fruity notes of ripe yellow peach are also perceived. The persistence is fresh, and the florality of the liquor always remains very pronounced.

WESTERN

The first sip of Ever Spring oolong tea is delicate and very sweet: in fact, it leaves a sugary sensation all over the palate and tongue. A slightly vegetal note follows and then immediately floral with intense hints of lily of the valley, lilac and magnolia. The body is distinctly oily, with creamy notes reminiscent of milk and honey, custard, and vanilla pudding. The finish is very fresh, with the floral and sugary notes lingering pleasantly.

Place of origin

Northeast Nantou, Taiwan

Production

After harvesting, Ever Spring oolong tea leaves wither in the sun for a few hours before moving to rest on bamboo trays indoors. Oxidation is then initiated by manual massage of the leaf, performed by the master producer. Given the low oxidation of this tea (about 20 percent), it will only take a short time before the tea moves to the next stage: the leaves are heated in a charcoal kiln to stop enzymatic activity and fix the product’s characteristics. As a penultimate step, the leaf is given its final shape by hand by rolling it onto itself so that its flavors can be better preserved. The last stage of processing is drying, which will allow the flavors to set will make the product ready for consumption.

How to prepare

We highly recommend infusing Ever Spring oolong tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, an initial infusion of 15 seconds can be made, and after that, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased each time by 5 seconds from the previous infusion (15 – 20 – 25 …).

This tea has a longevity of about 6 brewings.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 1 teaspoon) in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.

If you would like to experiment with infusing this tea with different amounts of leaves try to think of a suitable amount to allow the leaf to expand freely into the liquid without being compressed or hindered in doing so. By doing so, you will make the most of this product without hindering the extraction of flavour substances.

The tea can be filtered for greater ease at the moment of tasting, and also the infusion times indicated above are intended to be purely indicative, so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.

It is recommended that the oolong Ever Spring tea be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.