Alishan Gao Shan (阿里山高山茶)
archetype: Cloud deer
A light deer on a cloudy plateau: floral freshness, a cool sweetness, the gentle breath of the mountains.
History
Alishan Gao Shan is one of the chief high-mountain Taiwanese oolongs. The plantations were laid out on the slopes of Mount Alishan in Chiayi in the 1980s; the main cultivars are Jin Xuan and Qing Xin Wulong. Light oxidation (10–25 %), gentle roasting, the leaf rolled into a pearl. The wide day-night temperature swing at 1000–1600 m gives the leaf a dense sugar load and a fine floral aroma — hence its characteristic 'cloudy' lightness.
By the legend of the Tsou people, Mount Alishan is the back of a heavenly deer that fell asleep on the island and became land. When the deer breathes, mists move along its slopes; in those mists the leaf is born, holding the voice of the mountains and the silk of the cloud. That is why the tea cannot be drunk in haste: it itself shows you how slowly to inhale.
Terroir
1000–1600 m. weathered clay with basaltic inclusions. thick cloudy mists every morning, cool nights, long rains in season. The best gardens are Shilu, Shizhuokeng, Long Feng Xia. Leaves above 1300 m give the longest, finest floral aftertaste.
Leaf
dry leaf: tight jade-green pearls with a clear floral scent and thin sweet butter
warmed: the warmed leaf — white orchid, pear, creamy pollen, a light note of mountain air
after pour: after the infusion — white orchid, pear, creamy sweetness, a thin coolness
taste: white orchid, pear, creamy sweetness, a long cool finish; in long infusions a grassy note of the plateau
finish: long, cool, leaving 'mountain air' in the throat — a light sweet echo
Properties
TCM: cool, yin; opens the lungs, settles rising yang, gently supports the stomach
Modern: rich in theanine and volatile esters; gentle stimulation, favourable for breathing and sleep
Cha qi: light, rising into head and upper chest; felt as a 'straightening of the shoulders'
Caffeine: moderate (30–45 mg)
Brewing ritual
a white gaiwan, 110 ml; 88 °C; 7 g / 110 ml. 12s — white orchid, cool pear; 10s — the peak: creamy sweetness, floral pollen; 12s — a light grassy note, the cool of the plateau; 18s — a long sweet trail; 30s — a thin orchid — an echo; 45s — the finale: coolness in the throat, like high air.
When to drink
day and early evening. spring and summer — especially when it is stuffy. when the lower body feels heavy; when the breath needs to be lifted; for fatigue in the shoulders. white pear, creamy cheese, vanilla biscuits, white fruit, light salads. two over an unhurried conversation; solitary work in the open air
Tea meditation
- Lift your head.
- The cloud does not press — it holds.
- Breathe high, like a deer on the plateau.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Alishan Gao Shan?
a white gaiwan, 110 ml; 88 °C; 7 g / 110 ml. 12s — white orchid, cool pear; 10s — the peak: creamy sweetness, floral pollen; 12s — a light grassy note, the cool of the plateau; 18s — a long sweet trail; 30s — a thin orchid — an echo; 45s — the finale: coolness in the throat, like high air.
What does Alishan Gao Shan taste like?
white orchid, pear, creamy sweetness, a long cool finish; in long infusions a grassy note of the plateau
How much caffeine is in Alishan Gao Shan?
moderate (30–45 mg)
What are the effects of Alishan Gao Shan?
rich in theanine and volatile esters; gentle stimulation, favourable for breathing and sleep
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