Club Gathering Log (BTC-12) | Online Events: 25.04.2026, 28.04.2026. | by: Pink Luk & Nadi Biran
This season, the Blind Tasting Club focuses on a single terroir: an esoteric growing area in northeast Taiwan. Journeying into the misty, humid mountains of Yilan, we encountered a region that was historically a supporting base for Pinglin. Today, Yilan is re-emerging with a quiet confidence, shifting toward small-scale, quality-focused, and independent production. Sourcing this collection was a significant challenge, as all five teas were grown naturally without pesticides, come from 5 different cultivars, different micro-terroirs and different tea makers.
1. Qing Xin Da Mao Green Wulong 2025
Harvest: 20.04.2025 | Cultivar: Qingxin Damao (青心大冇) | Tree Age: ~25 years | Oxidation: 20%
Think of this tea as a Baozhong-inspired light wulong. It combines traditional strip-style Baozhong processing with traditional Dong Ding semi-ball rolling. The result is a highly aromatic cup with only drying, no roasting. Compared to the more delicate Qingxin Wulong, the broad leaves of Qingxin Damao give this tea a heavier, more satisfying body.
Tasting Notes: Green peas, dominant umami, lingering cool mint finish.
2. Qing Xin Wu Long Highly Oxidized Wulong 2025
Harvest: 02.05.2025 | Cultivar: Qingxin Wulong (青心乌龙) | Altitude: 1000-1200m | Oxidation: 40%
Produced in Yilan's Datong Township, this tea reflects its environment perfectly. Datong is defined less by its altitude and more by its persistent humidity and diffused, unstable sunlight. This humid mountain climate demands master-level control over withering and oxidation. This tea truly shines at 95°C around the fourth steep, revealing a distinct, fruity gaoshan (high mountain) character. A very challenging tea to produce.
Tasting Notes: Apricot, butter, cinnamon, tropical fruits, sweet corn husk.
Snow covering the tea plantation in Datong, Yilan, Taiwan. January 2025
3. Jinxuan Fan Zhuang Hong Wulong 2025
Harvest: 16.02.2025 | Cultivar: Jinxuan No.12 | Oxidation: 60%
"Fan Zhuang" translates to "Foreign Estate," a century-old term used to describe exported teas, sharing roots with what we know as Eastern Beauty. Today, the term describes an Eastern Beauty style tea grown outside the traditional Miaoli-Taoyuan area, yet it still features bug-bitten leaves and follows the exact same processing methods. Importantly, it has no relation to the modern Taitung Red Wulong that adopted a similar name. The high moisture of the region allows the tea to naturally develop a deep, honeyed sweetness without the need for heavy roasting. Thanks to the natural farming environment, this classic bug-bitten effect creates a beautifully coated mouthfeel and a highly refined sweetness.
Tasting Notes: Honey, pineapple, cocoa, plum.
Winner of the Favorite Tea Award🥇
4. Mixiang Bailu Red (Mother Bush) 2025
Harvest: 28.03.2025 | Cultivar: Bailu TTES No.17 (Mother Bush, ~50 years) | Oxidation: 100%
Bailu (White Egret) is a cultivar bred from an Assamica mother (Tainong TTES No.8), and the famous Hongyu father (TTES No.18). Because the Taiwanese market remains obsessed with high-mountain Qingxin Wulong, Bailu is rare and niche. This specific batch comes from the mother bush. While it initially carried a damp, aged aroma, it has rested well, transforming into a medium-bodied tea with an aged character. A robust tea with an engaging structure.
Tasting Notes: Sour cherry, bright citrus.
Bailu No.17 Mother Bush in Yilan
5. Mixiang Ying Xiang Red 2025
Harvest: Summer 2025 | Cultivar: TTES No.20 "Yingxiang" | Oxidation: 100%
Yingxiang is the child of Jinxuan (providing soft mouthfeel and aromatics) and the same Tainong No.8 as tea No.4 (same farmer). This beautiful summer harvest is developing exceptionally well, natural bug-bitten as well. It triggers wonderful sheng jin (saliva production) in a refined liquor and unique character only natural farming can provide.
Tasting Notes: Nectarine, cinnamon, clove, sun-dried fruit, truffle.
Winner of the Most Unique Tea Award🏅
The Shape of Yilan’s History
To find five teas from different cultivars from the same harvest year was a challenge we set for this edition. While all five teas are semi-ball shaped, suggesting a wulong style, the spectrum of oxidation actually ranges from light 20% to a full 100% red tea. You might wonder: why are all these Yilan teas shaped this way?
The answer lies in historical transition. Yilan inherited the light, aroma-driven, strip-style approach from northern Fujian and Pinglin (Baozhong). However, as market preferences shifted in the 1980s toward the rolled styles of Dong Ding, Yilan sat right in the middle. They adopted partial rolling techniques to meet market demands while keeping their historical processing logic. The result is the loose, semi-ball shape we see in this collection - a shape quite literally molded by history, technique, and environment.
