Da Yu Ling
Naivetea
As I've mentioned before in these pages, my primary interest and focus is on black and green teas. Which doesn't mean that I don't like some of the lighter varieties of oolong but they're not something that I normally seek out. Fortunately, a few oolong samples came my way the other day, thanks to the good people at Naivetea. They do oolong tea exclusively, as they note at their web site:
As the only company in the U.S. to focus specifically on Taiwanese oolong teas, Naivetea works exclusively with the finest small-production tea farmers in Taiwan’s renowned tea-growing regions to procure the highest quality tea possible, many of which are otherwise only available in Taiwan and China.
This is the first of the samples I've tried thus far. Obviously, I'd be jumping the gun if I said that it was the best but I'm trying to imagine how you could improve on this and I'm not coming up with any answers. It brews up to a very appealing light golden color and is one of the smoothest, most flavorful oolong teas that I can ever remember sampling.
Here's what Naivetea has to say about it:
Distinctive mountain essence, fresh flower and evergreen notes, lingering refined sweetness.
Mouth Feel: Soft with light, smooth body
Aroma: Delicate, fresh, floral
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: LightOrigin: Da Yu Ling, in one of the highest elevation tea farming areas of Central Taiwan
Elevation: 2,300 meters/7,545 feet
Sample provided by Naivetea
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1 comment:
I'd be a little cautious about the claim that Naivetea is "the only company in the U.S. to focus specifically on Taiwanese oolong teas".
There are hundreds of tea companies out there...I discover a new tea company almost every day, and there are certainly quite a few that sell in the U.S. and that specialize in Taiwanese oolongs. As an example, J-Tea does not exclusively sell Taiwanese oolongs, but it shows a clear focus on those teas.
That said, I don't think Naivetea needs to make any sort of claim like that in order to impress. I feel positively about any company that focuses on high-quality loose-leaf tea, especially those that emphasize tea from small farms. =)
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