High Mountain '90 Vintage

This year’s sourcing trip took us to a tea collector in central Taiwan. He makes and sells his own high mountain tea but has a soft spot for vintage teas. There are large bags of his collected aged tea surrounding his giant teapot sculpture, each varied in sizes and marked with an approximate year and notes on where it came from.

This particular high mountain oolong has been aging for over three decades. He says it tastes a bit like ginseng.  

High mountain oolong as a genre is unique to central Taiwan. Harvested from gardens over 1,000 in sea elevation, these tea trees grow slowly, concentrating their aroma. They are prized for thick syrupy texture, beautiful floral character and a long finish. 

After over 3 decades of aging though, the liquor of this tea has darkened and the aroma deepened. The bright florals evolved into tangy preserved plums and damped camphor wood. That fresh grassy note is replaced by warming steamed hearty vegetables. 

If you are a fan of high mountain oolong, give this one a try! We recommend drinking this tea next to a classic high mountain oolong (Mt. Pyrus or Mt. Qilai) to experience what tea aging tastes like.

Learn more about High Mountain Tea or check out our Tea Brewing Guides.