Taiwanese High Mountain Oolongs, or GaoShanCha is generally harvested two seasons each year: Spring and Winter. There is a some-time exception called DongPian but we’ll leave that for another time.
Depending on the weather, Spring Harvest starts around late March and can go until the beginning of May. While Winter Harvest is late October and goes until early December.
So is there a difference? Well, yes.
Of course, each yearly tea is slightly different due to the weather conditions even in the same terroir, but in general terms the Spring crop is has more floral notes and a lighter texture. During this time of year the plants grow faster and deliver a more vibrant taste and the floral notes come from the many blooming flowers in the vicinity. The harvest is also more voluminous this time of year.
The Winter Harvest shines on texture. Because the leaves grow slowly in the cooler weather, the soup is more viscous and rich. Many tea aficionados prefer the Winter crop but it's all personal preference. For some of our teas, we only offer the Winter crop for instance the Heavy Roast Dong Ding Oolong. That's pure Winter goodness.
I've noticed that serious tea drinkers tend to fall into two camps, taste drinkers and texture drinkers, although there is some cross-over. Taste drinkers are looking for noticeable top notes while texture drinkers are looking for a satisfying soupy texture with a long finish. You probably fall into one of these camps, or both!
Please enjoy our BTTC line up of farm-direct Taiwanese High Mountain Oolongs HERE.
Paul, BTTC
Note: We are often asked when they are available for purchase at BTTC. The answer is: Spring Harvest in very late May or early June, and Winter harvest in very late December or early January.
Note2: No matter Spring or Winter, I like to let my new teas set for a few months to settle in but they are perfectly good to drink as soon as they arrive.
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