Cao Ao Zai｜Shanlinxi Tea Region　1900 m

Cao Ao Zai

AromaBitternessBody

Cao Ao Zai

Shanlinxi Tea Region　Cao Ao Zai 1900m　Elevation 1900 m

FloralCool Mineral

Flavour

Cool mineral with high mountain florals

Cold mineral notes, high-mountain florals

Fair priceverified

2,400–4,500 NT$ / 600 g

One jin is 600 g. Below NT$1,600, be sceptical.

A reasonable range is NT$2,400–4,500 per 600 g. Below NT$1,600, ask more questions. "High mountain tea" has no legal definition in Taiwan. Ask for the exact elevation and the road marker (K number). Competition-grade lots command a large premium. Ask which association ran the competition, which year, and for the seal.

What to ask when buying this

Which K marker? Which peak?

"High mountain tea" has no legal definition in Taiwan. The K number is a road milepost — the most concrete way to pin down origin. Asking it signals you have done your homework.

Is this a competition tea? Which association, which year?

Grading standards differ between associations, so awards are not comparable across competitions. Genuine lots come with a seal and certificate.

Which season is this from?

Spring and winter lots fetch the highest prices and the best aroma; summer and autumn are a step down in both.

May I taste it first?

If they will not let you taste but want you to buy 600 g of something expensive, walk away. It is the simplest and most effective filter there is.

Specifications

TypeOolong tea

Leaf styleBall-rolled oolong

CultivarQingxin Oolong

HarvestSpring & Winter

Oxidation / RoastLightly oxidised　Unroasted

CharacterSlightly cooling

Brewing latitudeFairly narrow

ConstitutionGood for warm constitutions

About the origin

Opened late, and the highest ground in the Shanlinxi range at around 1,950 m. The planted area is small and the yield low, so it rarely reaches the market.

These figures will be updated if they change.

Brewing

Water temp.95–100 °C

Leaf to water3g / 150ml

Infusion times60　45　60　80 sec

Cold brew5 g per 500 ml, 7 h refrigerated

Harvest months4、5、11、12 月

Temperatures follow the official category guidance. Source: TRES — Effects of water quality and temperature on tea liquor

Common mistakes with this tea

Use hot enough water

95°C or above. Too cool and the roast aroma never opens, leaving it flat.

Little room for error

The window for temperature and timing is narrow. On your first try use slightly less leaf and shorter steeps.

A longer first infusion is normal

Rolled-ball leaf needs the first infusion to open up; the second is then shorter.

Seal it and keep it dark

Best drunk within two months.

What to eat with it

Fenguo Jelly夏An amber sweet-potato-starch jelly, springy rather than sticky, often served in the same bowl as douhua.

Aiyu Jelly夏Natural pectin washed from aiyu seeds, served with lemon and syrup. Almost flavourless on its own — the tea supplies the aroma.

A chilled jelly has almost no flavour of its own; a heavily roasted tea would bury it. A fragrant, lightly oxidised tea lifts it instead.

This one is Taiwan-only — not available overseasHere are the closest teas we can actually ship you:

Location accuracy: named locality (23.6400, 120.7800). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.