對台灣茶來說,九二一地震的影響,可說是自然農法導入茶園管理的起點,災難帶來傷害同時也是進步的起點,危機就是轉機。台灣精神就是不怕挑戰,我是勇敢的台灣人!
有機凍頂 蜜香貴妃烏龍茶
民國八十八年的九二一地震,半年後又發生桃芝颱風土石流,使整個鹿谷鄉茶葉產業受到嚴重打擊,茶園因而荒廢。
九十一年間,屋漏偏逢連夜雨,茶樹又受遭著煙仔蟲害。通常每年夏季期間,高溫高濕又背風的茶園在不使用農藥下 ,方受此蟲害,,稱為著涎,即浮塵子(茶小綠葉蟬)蠶食。
危機就是轉機 人與大自然共存
鹿谷年輕輩茶農面對失業,不向命運低頭,為重振茶葉雄風巧妙的利用特有山嵐雲霧滋潤,運用老式凍頂重發酵工法把受茶小綠葉蟬咬食的茶葉研製成具有果蜜香的煙仔茶。
使此茶提昇絕美韻味,有了似東方美人茶的煙仔饋(果蜜香)加多凍頂烏龍韻味此茶,更是大自然有機認證。如果施打農藥,即無法著涎,這有如天使之吻般的蜜香,提醒著天地人的共存關係,煙仔茶饕在品嚐之餘,更能體悟天無絕人之路。 台灣精神就是不怕挑戰 三寶堂 一言九鼎 強力推薦
勇敢的台灣人 Ióng-kám ê Tâi-uân-lâng
蜜香貴妃ウーロン茶、中焙煎
甘みのある蜜の香り繊細なはちみつ甘いと香りウーロン茶。
「華やかな気品」という言葉がうかぶ、まさに茶名にふさわしい蜜香烏龍茶です。
「貴妃烏龍茶」とは、ウンカという虫の食害作用を利用し独特の香気を生み出しつくられる高山烏龍茶です。
今回入荷の貴妃茶は、蜂蜜のような甘い香りを、くっきりと際立たせるような程よい中焙煎。
2019年夏摘みの茶葉をじっくりと寝かせ、今秋に焙煎し入荷となりました。
ともすると焙煎香が勝り、濃厚さは強いものの蜜香が感じにくいタイプの貴妃茶もありますが、流石の熟練茶師の技術。
絶妙な加減の火入れで、存分にその魅力が発揮されています。
艶のある澄んだ褐色の茶湯は、すこし温度が下がるとカラメルのような甘さに変化します。
女性の方に人気がでそうなスイートさのある香りと、まろやかな風味の烏龍茶です。
ぜひゆっくりと煎を重ねて、その変化をお楽しみください。
産地:鹿谷鄉 製茶時期:2019 年 7 月中旬(夏茶) 焙煎時期:2020 年 10 月中旬
品種:青心烏龍 発酵度:中発酵 焙煎度:中焙煎 焙煎方法:龍眼木炭 焙籠
A uniquely aromatic ball-rolled Oolong with that bug-bitten taste of honey, resin and muscatel. Renamed from Honey Concubine.
Gui Fei Oolong was supposedly invented by accident in Dong Ding region of Taiwan in 1999. Because of the earthquakes the producers could not harvest their teas during Spring and had to wait until summer after the bugs had had a little feast of the leaves. They found that the resulting Oolong had a powerful honeyed fruits aroma similar to the other famous bug-bitten tea - Oriental or Eastern Beauty.
Due to the similarities with Oriental Beauty, the tea was named Gui Fei after one of the four beauties of ancient China - the famously beautiful Yang Guifei concubine of the Tang Dynasty.
The tea is produced using a harder wither and longer oxidation. This allows more sweetness and terpene development in the tea. But, this is not enough to bring out those honeyed and dessert wine notes. There is the requirement that the field has had some level of bug-biting from the little leafhopper jassids (which is why it is picked in summer).
This biting causes the plant to produce defensive secondary metabolites - aromas to repel the insects or call in their predators. The beauty of plant signalling is that even if a relatively small proportion of the plants are bitten, their release of these defensive terpenes signals the neighbouring plants to also produce the terpene to work as a team to drive away the insects. In this way the 'bug-bitten taste' is present in all of the tea.
This Honey Duchess combines the sweet and honeyed muscatel aroma with the milky and alpine notes of a Qing Xin Oolong. This is very different to Oriental Beauty which, due to its smaller leaf picking and even longer oxidation, has a more bright black tea character. Gui Fei is rounder and more resinous with dried apricots and forest honey.
This tea has undergone a light roast to lock in and stabilise the aromas, making it suitable for longer storage and a more settled taste
TASTING NOTES
- EYES - DRY LEAF
- Granola and raisin brown, small, rolled balls.
- NOSE - DRY LEAF
- Tarte tatin, milk and honey.
- NOSE - WET LEAF
- Cooked lychee in syrup, pine resin and forest honey.
- EYES - LIQUOR
- Peach golden liquor.
- MOUTH - TEXTURE
- Medium.
- MOUTH - TASTE
- Muscatel, cedar, orchid and honeyed apricots.
- NOSE - EMPTY CUP
- Evaporated milk and icing sugar.
- MOUTH - FINISH
- Fruity and fresh with orchid sweetness.
- EYES - WET LEAF
- Dark khaki, tender, medium leaves.
- BODY SENSATION
- Bright, warming relaxation.
- SEASON
- June 2020
- CULTIVAR
- Qing Xin
- ORIGIN
- Nantou, Taiwan.
- PICKING & PROCESSING
- Up to third or fourth leaf.
- ELEVATION
- 800m