
Shuili TeaShuili Tea
Flavour
Delicate aroma, mellow and sweet
Shuili sits at about 1,100 m, mild and damp on fertile ground. Qingxin Oolong and Jinxuan are what grow here; the liquor is a bright amber. The aroma is quiet and elegant — a little milk from the Jinxuan, light florals from the oolong. Clean and sweet, fine and smooth, good hot or cold. An easy tea to like and an easy one to drink every day.
Fair priceestimated
One jin is 600 g. Below NT$800, be sceptical.
A reasonable range is NT$1,300–2,600 per 600 g. Below NT$800, ask more questions. This range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation; it has not been verified against listed prices.
What to ask when buying this
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.
This price range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation and has not been verified, so compare for yourself.
Spring and winter lots fetch the highest prices and the best aroma; summer and autumn are a step down in both.
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
About the origin
Shuili belongs to the Yushan high-mountain area, where the elevation suits the bush and skilled makers do the rest; the black tea from here is well made. The township farmers' association and its growers produce Shuili Red, a small-leaf black tea from leaf grown at 1,314 m — the same varietal family as Ceylon high-grown black tea — sweet with a pronounced fruit note, and a favourite for afternoon tea.
These figures will be updated if they change.
Brewing
Temperatures follow the official category guidance. Source: TRES — Effects of water quality and temperature on tea liquor
Common mistakes with this tea
95°C or above. Too cool and the roast aroma never opens, leaving it flat.
Rolled-ball leaf needs the first infusion to open up; the second is then shorter.
Best drunk within two months.
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
Glutinous rice clings and the sweetness lingers on the tongue. A tea with some astringency clears it away.
Location accuracy: township level (23.8120, 120.8550). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.