{"title":"Oolong Tea 乌龙茶","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt is possible to find good examples of amateur-made white and green tea--not so with oolong. Its name meaning \"black dragon,\" great oolong is one of the vaunted productions of tea for which importers, competition judges, and tea lovers will spend a lifetime scouring for. The category itself is so broad that it is difficult to narrow into a concise terminology. If there is commonality, it is this: great oolongs are grown in special terroir (high mountain slopes, jagged ferruginous cliffs, serpentine and fertile river valleys) and require both a nonpareil understanding of agriculture, and, tea processing, to achieve a finished result of character: dynamic, clear and distinct flavors. Finished oolong can be undulated longwise \"strip\" leaves or compressed bud-set \"ball\" coils, and almost anything in between. No style challenges its supposed borders more than the black dragon: you will find leaf-like oolongs greener than green teas, and meticulously rolled pearls bruised soundly into black tea territory. From creamy and floral, to rose and honey, to toasted caramel and vanilla spice--oolong contains multitudes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"honey-orchid","title":"Honey Orchid","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis Mi Lan Xiang ‘Honey Orchid’ comes from our producer friend Mr. Chan. He is a young, third-generation grower in the venerable Phoenix Mountain Range of Guangdong, melding a reverence for the centuries-old varietal oolong with a thirst for experimentation. It's his ninth year as head of the farm and already he is receiving acclaim for his work. Honey Orchid is arguably the most beloved of all dan cong (\"Single Grove\") styles. Instead of the traditional high firing, he opted for a greener variation, further accentuating its beautiful florality. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 2","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":43180627853535,"sku":"hoorc_oolon_tier2_00050","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":43113571582175,"sku":"hoorc_oolon_tier2_00250","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/HoneyOrchid26_3v2Large.jpg?v=1778091836"},{"product_id":"mr-changs-water-sprite","title":"Mr. Chang's Water Sprite","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis organic ‘Shui Xian’, though now happily nested in the mountains of Nantou, was originally cut from mainland stock and brought to Taiwan by the Chang family. The legacy of this variety grows richer by the day. Mr. Chang is acutely aware of contemporary challenges to tea production: picker shortages, climate change, and unstable demand. Accordingly, he waits until picking is complete on his half hectare garden, before slating a harvest to its respective processing styles—matching weather, quality, and yield to the style best suited. Here, only tender leaves are harvested and deftly rolled into a tight ball. Superbly toasty sweetness ensconces gentle fruit and herbal complexity. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":43909204607199,"sku":"shuix_oolon_tier3_00050","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":43909204639967,"sku":"shuix_oolon_tier3_00250","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/products\/shui_leafww.png?v=1753062635"},{"product_id":"lychee-roasted-iron-goddess","title":"Lychee Roasted Iron Goddess","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAlfredo Lin is one of our longest standing producer partners. The young maker is a veritable fount of knowledge: his jocularity and spirit of experimentation give rise to refined and consistent excellence in teamaking. Grown slowly but sweetly at the extreme elevations of Qinhua near Ligong Village in Dali, Yunnan, then shipped to central Taiwan for finishing over lychee charcoals—Alfredo’s protege Ah Feng finished it with a deft roasting. We met with the pair as the last batches were being fired in March of 2026. Due to its painstaking process and imparted aromas, more and more roasters are abandoning charcoal in favor of convection and electric roasting—we are honored to help preserve the long tradition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":44096923861215,"sku":"lyche_oolon_tier3_00050","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":44104862007519,"sku":"lyche_oolon_tier3_00250","price":102.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/products\/leaf_0ecb4209-ccf6-4f79-9cae-982e2cdaeb23.png?v=1680532936"},{"product_id":"red-water-rou-gui","title":"Red Water Oolong","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis Red Water oolong was made from the  Rougui cultivar by Mr. Liang in Pinglin, Taiwan.  Rou Gui is considered a non-native cultivar and is extremely uncommon on the island. His tea bushes are about five years old, planted in former rice terraces, in sandy, well-drained soil. Semi-ripe leaves are gently bruised on soft iron (foregoing bamboo) to bruise the cell wall and gently induce oxidation. Mr. Liang credits the concept of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eZhou Shui\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Walking Water” as essential to his teas’ character: gradually dehydrating leaves with skill, so that moisture is retained during successive processes. Mr. Liang’s practice is rich in the elemental characteristics of old tea making, relying on his senses and instincts. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":44099857744095,"sku":"redwo_oolon_tier3_00050","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":44099882352863,"sku":"redwo_oolon_tier3_00250","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/products\/RedWaterOolong_ww_d90e7239-8e3b-4415-b883-25396720635d.png?v=1680538846"},{"product_id":"muzha-iron-goddess-of-mercy","title":"Muzha Iron Goddess of Mercy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn April our team had the pleasure of studying with the former processing champion of Taiwan, Mr. Liang. Liang is a treasure and we were fortunate to be imparted an iota of his skill and knowledge. Though we were enjoying the fresh and aromatic yields of the spring season, we commissioned an autumn harvest of Muzha-style Iron Goddess. Though it’s a matter of preference, autumn harvests are known for their superior mouthfeel to early spring. Using precise convection roasting, Liang elicits the fondest and most desirable qualities of Muzha in his productions: melding sugarcane sweetness with full toastiness, textured mouthfeel and a long-lingering fruit palate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":46561886699743,"sku":"irngd_oolon_tier3_00050","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":46561886732511,"sku":"irngd_oolon_tier3_00250","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/MRLIANGTIEGUANYIN-0067.jpg?v=1733432410"},{"product_id":"silver-tip-reserve","title":"Silver Tip Reserve","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBai Hao’s signature quality is a sweet, floral hormone that is released by the tea plant when bitten by a jassid. This premier lot of Silver Tip is comprised solely of budsets which exhibit that jassid reaction. The only way to ensure this is for skilled pickers to use eyes and hands, plucking only young budsets which exhibit bites. Years ago, Mr. Teng, uncle of our Miaoli-based partner Ms. Teng, moved to Fujian to scale production and enjoy the highland, maritime climate of Dehua. He brings his forty-years of consistent, award-winning craftsmanship to innovating a new terroir for the style.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 4","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":46561888272607,"sku":"slvtp_oolon_tier4_00050","price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/SILVERTIPSUPREME-0038.jpg?v=1733432718"},{"product_id":"exuding-jade-23","title":"Exuding Jade #22","description":"\u003cp\u003eVarieties that once thrived in situ are facing steeper challenge due to climate change. To help farmers, TRES released #22, 'Qin Yu' (\"Exuding Jade\"), a cross of 'Qing Xin' and its heartier peer 'Jin Xuan'. The result is a structured, vigorous and tasty tea combining complexity and resilience. Like a child, it is not quite either of its parents. Floral, but not tropical floral--silky but not milky--'Qin Yu' carries longan and pineapple flavors. Its producer Mr. Luo is a decorated, innovative, ecology-minded master, buying old farms on Shan Lin Xi and converting them to organic growth.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Spirit Tea ","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":47020588794079,"sku":"exuding-jade#22_oolong_tier3_00050","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":47020588826847,"sku":"exuding-jade#22_oolong_tier3_00250","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/image_4483e8f9-20bd-43a7-b080-a84117cb1e83.jpg?v=1751311851"},{"product_id":"mr-chen-s-wuyi-cultivar","title":"Mr. Chen's Wuyi Cultivar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCalvin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen carries on the legacy of his father, who years ago set out to collect, plant and make prized stock from famous tea regions around the diaspora in his home of Mingjian, Taiwan. An unlikely feat, Chen's pure skill has been his guiding light. The genetics of this lot trace their roots to Wuyishan, China--home of vaunted yancha, though the specific accession is lost to time and memory. Unlike the volcanic soils of Wuyi the plant takes on new dimensions grown in the sandy, low lying plains of Mingjian. This organic production, carefully processed by Chen, features bright and citrusy characteristics.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Spirit Tea ","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":47025315971295,"sku":"mr-chen-wuyi_oolong_tier3_00050","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":47025316004063,"sku":"mr-chen-wuyi_oolong_tier3_00250","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/image_bdb8c06b-5d47-47df-95c9-c710aecaeacc.jpg?v=1751311810"},{"product_id":"2006-wuyi-cultivar","title":"Mr. Chen's 2006 Wuyi Cultivar","description":"This 2006 vintage of Mr. Chen's Wuyi Cultivar is a brilliant predecessor and companion piece to the fresh iteration. Grown in the sandy soils of Mingjian from Wuyishan stock, the original yancha brightness mellows into warm spice, dried citrus peel, and soft mineral depth. This tea was made by Calvin's father, a master roaster and processor in the region, who anticipated the market's shift toward gaoshancha and steered his production in a boldly different direction. A tea of memory, Calvin continues his father's legacy of creating a living bank of prized materiel from vaunted tea regions. ","brand":"Spirit Tea ","offers":[{"title":"50g Retail Package","offer_id":47164438806751,"sku":"2006-wuyi_oolong_tier3_50g","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":47164438839519,"sku":"2006-wuyi_oolong_tier3_250g","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/2006WuyiCultivar_3.jpg?v=1753296239"},{"product_id":"red-water-supreme","title":"High Mountain Red Oolong","description":"High Mountain Red is a great example of how touch transcends style. Mr. Zhou is the talent responsible for the succulent, redolent and masterful Green Snail, a mainstay of our catalogue. Though his family's pride lies in the lush green teas from the garden slopes of Sanxia, he spends the offseason processing oolong from Shanlinxi. His ability in rolling, roasting, and shaping serves him well as he induces deep oxidation, tapping the heart of the mountain's terroir and modifying it into a rich, wine-like, floral expression.","brand":"Tier 2","offers":[{"title":"50g","offer_id":47616569639135,"sku":"high-mountain-red_oolong_tier2_50g","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":47616569671903,"sku":"high-mountain-red_oolong_tier2_250g","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/Untitled-1Artboard3.jpg?v=1763497380"},{"product_id":"magnolia-aroma","title":"Magnolia Aroma","description":"The Fenghuang mountain range celebrates micro-terroir with its \"Dan Cong\" (single bush) varieties. This 'Yu Lan Xiang' (Magnolia Aroma), is a beloved bittersweet and toasty lot that smells like its namesake during roasting. It's made by Eric Chan: a young, third-generation grower, melding a reverence for the centuries-old varietal oolong with a thirst for experimentation. Chan is already getting acclaim for his productions and several groves on his family plot are reaching the century mark. Old tree stock yields long, expansive coating mouthfeel while dancing, dusky florals delight the senses. Instead of the traditional high firing, Chan opted for a slightly greener variation, further accentuating its beautiful florality.","brand":"Tier 2","offers":[{"title":"50g","offer_id":47616542081247,"sku":"magnolia_aroma_tier2_50g","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"250g","offer_id":47616542114015,"sku":"magnolia_aroma_tier2_250g","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/MagnoliaAromaArtboard3.jpg?v=1763497523"},{"product_id":"mr-liangs-huang-jin-gui","title":"Mr. Liang's Huang Jin Gui","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMr\u003c\/i\u003e Liang is a veteran maker whose expertise in precise convection roasting places his tea among the finest Muzha-style oolongs. This autumn-harvested Huang Jin Gui (\"Golden Osmanthus\") was crafted under his guidance and sourced from Mr. Chen's experimental plantings in Mingjian, Taiwan. Originally from Anxi, China, Huang Jin Gui was long overshadowed by Iron Goddess of Mercy, but its resurgence reveals remarkable depth. Liang's approach coaxes sugarcane sweetness, gentle toastiness, and a layered, fruit-forward finish. The result is a compote-sweet, textured oolong with the smooth mouthfeel and enduring character that distinguish Taiwan's finest autumn teas.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tier 3","offers":[{"title":"50g","offer_id":47616569245919,"sku":"Liang-huang-jin-gui_tier2_50g","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g","offer_id":47616569278687,"sku":"Liang-huang-jin-gui_tier2_250g","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/files\/HuangJinGuiArtboard3.jpg?v=1763501058"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0113\/8897\/7216\/collections\/oolong_collection.webp?v=1656357869","url":"https:\/\/spirittea.mom\/collections\/oolongtea.oembed","provider":"Spirit Tea ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}