Four Seasons Organic Oolong Tea

Four Seasons oolong is a low-oxidation tea from the island of Taiwan, produced from plantations in valleys where there is a stable and perpetually temperate climate due to the presence of rivers and dense vegetation.

The name “Four Seasons” in itself is quite generic, and without more information this tea could be associated with another product in our catalog called Ever Spring: however, as we often remember, the area of origin, cultivar, and high characteristics always make a great deal of difference in the final product.

Unlike the Ever Spring, the Four Seasons is derived from camellias of the Jin Xuan cultivar, and its source gardens are located about 200 km further south than those of its peer. Lastly, it must also be considered that the processing of the products, while similar, will have peculiarities due to the experience of the master craftsman who intervenes throughout the production chain.

Tasting – Sight and smell

Four Seasons organic oolong tea leaves come rolled tightly into rather irregular shapes. The color is a deep forest green with spots of lighter green and tones between ochre and cream at the stems. When infused, the leaves give off sweet aromas reminiscent of sticky rice and vanilla sugar, floral notes, and a slightly herbaceous and very fresh hint. In the cup, the liquor is a deep, bright straw yellow.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA

The first infusion of Four Seasons organic oolong tea is delicate and has a distinctly floral (white flowers) and slightly vegetal character. The body is already medium dense, with a buttery note permeating the tongue. This milky component increases with the second infusion, where the floral notes are still well present (magnolia, wisteria) and where a slight almond note also appears. With the third and several subsequent infusions, however, the vegetal component intensifies more, with memories of freshly cut grass, while the floral hints – which are joined by an interesting exotic monoi note – remain more delicate. The body here is even more oily, with a milky, sweet persistence that lingers on the palate.

WESTERN

The first sip of Four Seasons organic oolong tea brings intense notes of white flowers including wisteria, magnolia and lily of the valley. It then adds a sweet, milky note that is reminiscent of cream and leaves a coating on the tongue and palate, making one feel the full-bodied density of this tea. Subsequently, very subtle and delicate plant scents can be detected, which are pleasant and extremely fresh, like a spring meadow. The finish is sweet, with a hint of vanilla sugar and still some floral scent lingering.

Place of origin

Taiwan

Four Seasons organic oolong tea production

After harvesting, the leaves wither in the sun for a few hours before resting on bamboo trays under cover. Here it’s where the oxidation starts thanks to a manipulation of the leaves (the shaking) made by the tea master. Due to the low oxidation of this tea (about 20%), it takes only a short time before the tea moves on to the next stage where the leaves pass through a charcoal-heated oven to stop the enzymatic activity and fix the characteristics of the product. After this stage in the oven, the leaf is given its final shape by rolling it up by hand so that its aromas can be better preserved. The product is ready for consumption once it has completed its drying process, which allows it to keep its rolled shape.

How to prepare

We highly recommend infusing Four Seasons organic oolong tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 100 ml to obtain several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, an initial infusion of 20 seconds can be made, after which, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased each time by 10 seconds compared to the previous infusion (20 – 30 – 40 …).

This tea has a longevity of about 6 brewings.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style we recommend 2 grams of leaves (approx. 1 teaspoon) in a 150 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of one and a half 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.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.