Oriental Beauty

Oriental Beauty | 東方美人

 Tasting notes: Honey, peach, malty
 Origin: Emei, Hsinchu, Taiwan
 Cultivar: 青心大冇 Qingxin Damao
 Oxidation: ⦿⦿⦿⦿○

This bug-bitten tea tastes close to a black tea and is famous for its natural honey aroma.

Why we love it:

• It's one of Taiwan's most prized teas, apparently named by an English queen who was delighted by the way the delicate leaves seemed to dance in the water.
• It's a bug-bitten tea: when tiny leafhoppers start nibbling on the leaves in the field, the tea plant releases chemicals to defend itself - which to humans smell like honey. Farmers allow for a certain amount of damage to give the resulting tea a natural honey aroma.
• It's the only oolong to contain white furry buds, and has to be processed with extra care to avoid damaging the delicate buds. The picking grade is one bud with two leaves.
• It tastes close to a black tea since it is 70-80% oxidised, which gives it a malty flavour.

What is bug-bitten tea?


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