Lower Baling Tea｜Northern Tea Region　1400 m

Lower Baling Tea

AromaBitternessBody

Lower Baling Tea

Northern Tea Region　Lower Baling 1400m　Elevation 1400 m

Returning SweetnessFloral

Flavour

Delicate aroma with clean sweetness

Xiabaling sits at about 1,400 m, under fog year-round — good ground for high-mountain tea. Bitter turning sweet, cold mineral with a scent of its own, smooth going down; the liquor is a bright, clear gold and the aroma clean and fragrant.

Fair priceestimated

2,000–4,000 NT$ / 600 g

One jin is 600 g. Below NT$1,300, be sceptical.

A reasonable range is NT$2,000–4,000 per 600 g. Below NT$1,300, ask more questions. Competition-grade lots command a large premium. Ask which association ran the competition, which year, and for the seal. This range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation; it has not been verified against listed prices.

What to ask when buying this

What is the actual elevation?

One region can span 700 m to 1,700 m, with several times the price difference. The same name does not mean the same grade.

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.

Compare two or three sellers first

This price range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation and has not been verified, so compare for yourself.

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.

Specifications

TypeOolong tea

Leaf styleBall-rolled oolong

CultivarQingxin Oolong

HarvestSpring & Winter

Oxidation / RoastLightly oxidised　Light roast

CharacterSlightly cooling

Brewing latitudeModerate

ConstitutionGood for warm constitutions

About the origin

The Xiabaling stretch of the Lalashan area in Fuxing District, Taoyuan, at about 1,400 m. With Shangbaling it makes up the core of Lalashan's high-mountain tea; the whole area covers around 40 ha.

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.

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.

Start with 30–75 g

The most common beginner regret is buying 600 g on the first try. Buy a jin only after you know you like it.

What to eat with it

Tangyuan Rice Balls冬至・元宵Essential at the winter solstice and Lantern Festival. Sesame or peanut inside a soft glutinous skin — a symbol of the family gathered whole.

Longan Rice Cake冬Glutinous rice steamed with dried longan and rice wine — warming, deeply aromatic. The sweet side of Taiwan’s winter tonic tradition.

Glutinous rice clings and the sweetness lingers on the tongue. A tea with some astringency clears it away.

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

Location accuracy: named locality (24.6690, 121.3780). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.