High mountain oolong is defined by elevation: cold nights and constant cloud slow the bushes down and thicken the leaf, which is where the texture comes from. Ali Shan is the best known of those mountains, and the tea is rolled into balls, barely oxidised and left unroasted so nothing covers the raw material. The cup is pale, thick and noticeably buttery, with lily and sugarcane in the aftertaste and no astringency at all. Brew it hot in a small vessel and steep it many times; the third round is usually the best one.
The Iron Goddess of Mercy, lightly oxidised in the modern style. Rolled pellets open into orchid scent and a creamy body. The finish runs long and sweet.
Roasted rock oolong from the Wuyi cliffs. Mineral and dark-roasted up front, with stone fruit underneath. It opens over many steeps rather than one.
Traditional Taiwanese oolong, rolled tight and roasted the old way. Buttery and warm, with an orchid note that survives the fire. It rewards a small pot and short steeps.
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