Excellent Quality Despite Being Minor
Cui Feng tea is harvested from tea gardens at altitudes of 1700-2100m, producing a semi-fermented tea with a rich aroma reminiscent of ripe fruit.
Being a very high-grade tea, it contains a lot of minerals, mainly iron, which allows the tea's aroma to last through many infusions.
It is a tea suitable for aging. When stored under vacuum packaging for a certain period, it develops a strong peach aroma.
Among Taiwan High Mountain Oolong teas, Cui Feng is a minor production site, yet it produces excellent quality tea. Unlike ordinary oolong tea, Cui Feng tea has a multi-layered sweet floral aroma with an intense sweet flavor like ripe mangoes or peaches.
The Cui Feng tea plantation is located at a high altitude of around 1700m to 2100m. It is often mistaken for Li Shan, but it is different. While both are in the central Taiwan mountain range, Cui Feng is a peak located south of Nantou.
Quality of Cui Feng Tea
Cui Feng is a lesser-known mountain, but it has long attracted attention among local tea connoisseurs for its high-quality tea. Due to its relatively small production quantity, it is not as well-known as other Taiwan High Mountain oolong teas like Ali Shan or Li Shan.
We source our tea from the highest altitude areas of the Cui Feng tea gardens. The quality of Cui Feng Oolong varies based on the altitude of the tea plantation, the timing of the harvest, and the tea processing. We select the higher grades of Cui Feng Oolong, which have a unique sweet aroma reminiscent of nectar or honey. Lower grades of Cui Feng Oolong taste similar to Ali Shan or Shan Lin Xi Oolong.
Cui Feng tea is ranked higher than Ali Shan tea and Shan Lin Xi tea, and its quality is close to that of Li Shan and Da Yu Lin tea. In particular, its fragrance is similar to that of Da Yu Lin tea. Recently, the Da Yu Lin tea plantation has been converted to government-reserved forest land, so HOJO recommends choosing Cui Feng tea.
Unique Characteristics of Cui Feng Tea
Since the altitude of Cui Feng is close to Li Shan, some might think it has a similar scent. However, Cui Feng tea has its own unique flavor, different from Li Shan tea. Well-made Cui Feng Oolong has a rich honey-like scent typical of high mountain tea and a strong flavor impact.
The depth of aroma, which reflects the tea's quality, is similar to that of Li Shan tea. When you drink Cui Feng tea, the aroma spreads down your throat, filling your palate with a lingering sweet finish.
The great thing about HOJO's Cui Feng tea is its sweet fruity note, like ripe mangoes or apricots. Being a high-grade tea, it contains a lot of minerals, mainly iron, so the tea's aroma lasts through many brews. Additionally, this tea has a slightly higher degree of fermentation than ordinary oolong tea, making the sweet fruity aroma more appealing.
Peach Flavor by Aging
There is another way to enjoy this tea. HOJO's Cui Feng tea is vacuum packed with a deoxidizer. If you keep the tea unopened for some time (half a year or several years) at room temperature, the tea will develop a sweet peach scent. It is important to store the tea in a warm environment like Malaysia. Under such conditions, the tea will mature well, producing a strong sweet fruity flavor, to the point that you might hardly believe it is 100% pure tea leaves.
