Formosa fancy bai hao

This rare Formosa Superior Fancy Bai Hao is a true treat for the senses. The leaves are quite tippy with a fragrant bouquet when dry. Once brewed the cup is one of peach blossoms with a lingering honey note.

Bai Hao, or Oriental Beauty is a Taiwanese oolong unlike any other. Its notable reddish color gives away its high oxidation, sometimes as high as 80%. Often un-roasted, it is dried using prolonged withering process. Perhaps most interestingly, Oriental Beauty producers may even encourage an insect known as the ‘leafhopper’ to bite the tea leaves. The insects’ saliva produces a unique chemical reaction within the leaves, the only way of achieving its distinct flavor profile.

When Portuguese sailors first laid eyes on the towering, mist-shrouded mountains ninety miles from the coast of China they dubbed the beautiful island “Formosa”. The year was 1590 and it’s unlikely they could have known the beauty and variety of teas this verdant isle would become home to.

The long history of tea in Taiwan (previously known as Formosa) is an arc defined by two things: small family gardening and the oolong. Over 90% of Taiwan’s total tea production is oolongs.

Smallest of all traditional tea producing nations, Taiwan does not have ideal geography for large-scale tea production. Most farms on the island harvest four times a year, with the altitude of certain crops limiting their plucking to twice a year. However, that same geography: the cool, humid and mountainous landscape, coupled with centuries of expertise inherited from both Japanese and Chinese tea cultures make Taiwanese teas unparalleled in quality.

This tea contains a high level of caffeine | Steep at 195° for 2-3 minutes.