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I’ve had this one for a while, and I yet again thought I already wrote about it.

I’ve actually had both the 2019 and 2020 versions of of this tea, but I don’t know which one I’ve just opened. I am dumb.

Anyway, this was an extremely easy going Alishan that I drank in under a week the first time I had it, and I see myself finishing it quickly again. The light roast version of it is fruitier, but this one is extremely refreshing. I’ve found that Alishans are either really vegetal, or very fruity, but always floral and creamy in texture. I usually prefer the other mountains, yet if the Alishan is on the fruitier end, I will go for it.

This is one of the first teas in the middle of fruity and vegetal for my palette, leaning more on floral and green. I get some lemongrass and coconut on occasion, but I mostly get subdued fresia in the florals, some very light magnolia, under a heavy and heady orchid flavor/aroma. Either way it’s sweet. I actually brewed this unlike how I typically do it. I didn’t rinse it, and brewed it close to a minute, and then shortened the steeps 10-15 sec each time until I got to a good 27 sec steep four and five, and then I amped the tea back up to a minute, 2 minutes, and so on….and it kept on going and the huigan kept on giving, becoming lighter like lettuce.

I’ll just quote the company for the notes:

“Dry tea leaves are bright green, and smell of chlorophyll. First round of brewing brings out a strong floral flavor and fragrance. The tea liquor is a beautiful amber color. This tea is already starting to impart a long lingering aftertaste; the flavor starts floral, and moves to the deeper taste of orchids. The second of brewing imparts an additional woodsiness of mountain forests. Think freshly sprung bamboo shoots and old growth pine trees. The florality of the first round grows sweeter. This sweetness makes the tea liquor seem almost thick in the mouth. The fragrance of the second round is sweet, woodsy, and has an undercurrent of grass to it. The third round enhances all the notes of this tea. The woodsiness, florality, and taste of orchids are especially pronounced here. The aftertaste is very sweet, and lasts for many, many minutes.”

I’m not sure about the woodsiness, but it’s not a dry wood by any means. I know I’m using “ocean air” in my notes, but it’s got the feel of the heights in tropical mountains that is almost hydrating to inhale. I usually rate Alishans that are fruitier higher; however, the feels and fresh quality this tea gives me is making me put it above just the 90’s number I hover around.

It’s got a little bit of pine compared to most Alishans, and it’s got this really refreshing morning dew/mountain air quality that’s super easy to drink. It’s not the most flavor forward Alishan I’ve had, but it’s one of the most easy going ones that has enough complexity to make me think about it. The tea has enough sweet florals to balance out the grassy notes. Wang Family tea tend to specialize in the Shan Lin Xi’s, but this one is very well balanced and surprisingly fast and easy for me to down.