Forever Spring Classic

Grower: Yen Hwai Li

Teamaker: Fu Chen & Ai Fang

Origin: Zhushan Township - Nantou County, Taiwan

Elevation: 500m (1,640 ft)

Cultivation: Natural (Organic, but no certification)

Harvest Date: Spring 2018

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Pineapple • Chestnut • Orange blossom honey

Warm, sweet character.

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The Tea

Forever Spring is named for its cultivar, Si Ji Chun, or "Four Seasons Spring". While most tea bushes can only produce tea 2-3 times a year, Si Ji Chun is constantly flushing, as if forever in springtime. Tea farmers enjoy abundant harvests from this fast-growing, hardy cultivar. It produces mild, sweet teas with a striking floral fragrance. To craft the Forever Spring Classic, Ai Fang applies a light roast to the Forever Spring. This transforms the delicate, floral oolong into a honey-sweet, soft, and incredibly likeable tea! The light roast allows the natural purity and sweetness of the tea to shine through. While green, un-roasted oolongs are now popular in Taiwan, lightly roasted teas are a classic style, developed in the 1970s in Taiwan as an integral part of Dong Ding oolong processing. Today, competitions still exist in the Nantou area to showcase teas with excellent crafting and roasting.

The Producer

Forever Spring is grown by Yen Hwai Li in Zhushan, located in central Nantou. Nantou County is the heart of Taiwan's tea production. It is home to famous origins like Alishan, Dong Ding, and Shan Lin Xi. There are less famous areas, like Zhushan, which nonetheless produce excellent tea in the right conditions. The garden is situated in a humid, low-elevation area, which attracts pests and insects. While it is challenging to use organic methods here, Yen Hwai Li is committed to organic cultivation. Li also uses micro-organisms to revitalize the soil, bringing biodiversity and healthy soils to the garden. The tea is crafted by Ai Fang of jhentea. Her family's tea history dates back to the 19th century, and she is the 4th generation teamaker.