The Fog Rolled In...

The fog rolled in and all the world was a white milky haze. Hiking up steep inclines of 70 degrees at times, we huffed and puffed to the top of the world: the world of tea that is, at 2000 meters. Paying homage to the High Mountain oolongs is crucial to anyone considering themselves tea enthusiasts, and climbing a hill that high and that steep allows one to fully understand what ‘High Mountain’ means.

San Lin She, Taiwan, is home to huge purple blue bamboo groves, ginkgo trees and fragrant flowers, and one of the world’s most sought after oolong teas, with an intense floral fragrance all its own unforgettable character.

The tour group struggled to the top before the view was completely obscured. Thankfully the rolling curves of tea bushes were magnificent and plentiful in view for the strenuous hike to be worthwhile!

We tasted a crop harvested 2 days ago, and it was rich and floral. The considerable drought means the taste will be more intense than other years. Each cup of High Mountain oolong is evocative of the energy of the mountain, and all the drama and tragedies of a global weather changes that the tea plants struggle to adapt to. We taste and remember each differing year- like meeting a new friend each time, some more to our liking than others, all came with their own story.