Anxi, Phoenix and Taiwan · autumn harvest
Cooler nights slow the leaf’s growth, concentrating the aromatic oils.
In Anxi they say chun shui qiu xiang: spring for body, autumn for fragrance. Autumn Tieguanyin usually comes out lighter and more floral than the spring picking, the Phoenix mountains pick an autumn round of dancong, and Taiwan’s high mountain gardens are on their second flush. Yunnan picks guhua cha now too, autumn puer named for the flowering rice. Beyond oolong, Darjeeling and Assam bring in autumn flush blacks through October and November, Darjeeling’s soft and woodsy. The season is brief, the teas are worth paying attention to.
Teas to try
oolong
Nongxiang Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess, Rich Fragrance)
Anxi, Fujian
oolong
Alishan High Mountain (Lightly Oxidised)
Chiayi, Taiwan
oolong
Ya Shi Xiang Dan Cong (Duck Shit Fragrance)
Wudong Mountain, Chaozhou, Guangdong
oolong
Li Shan (Pear Mountain)
Li Shan, Taichung, Taiwan
oolong
Aged Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess, 2010)
Anxi, Fujian
Regions to explore
Fertile Heartland
Anxi and the Phoenix mountains, fragrant in autumn
Cloud Mountains
Taiwan’s high mountains, second flush arriving
Grand Estates
Darjeeling and Assam, autumn flush through November
This card is active during Oct 1 — Nov 15.
Comes back each year.