Blind Tasting Club #09 – Autumn 2025
- Nadav Biran
- Mar 6
- 5 min read
Club Gathering Log #09 | Online Events: 12.01.2025, 25.01.2025
The 9th edition of Blind Tasting Club has featured a curated selection of wulong teas from both Fujian and Taiwan. Each tea in this lineup carried an unusual aspect in its teamaking—whether an incomplete step, an added twist, or the omission of a traditional process. In the club’s early days, simply identifying a rare or unique tea as a wulong was a challenge. Now that our members have developed a deeper understanding and expanded their knowledge, we’ve raised the bar. This time, the challenge is more complex: to identify what process was altered and what defines these teas as wulong rather than another type.
#1: Tie Bilun Tanbei Wulong Spring 2023
Harvested in May 2023 from the classic Qing Xin Wulong cultivar, this tea comes from Mount Tie Bilun (帖比倫) at 1,300m in northern Nantou County, Taiwan. At first glance, it appears typical, but once brewed, its tasting notes reveal an unexpected character for a semi-baked tea. This is due to its slow, multi-stage roasting—undergoing three separate baking sessions, whereas light-roast wulong usually goes through one, and even heavier roasts rarely exceed two to three.
Its cultivation is equally unique, as organic practices at such high altitudes are increasingly rare. The family behind this tea not only owns the land but also operates an organic fertilizer factory. They were the first in Taiwan to introduce Neem as a fertilizer—now gaining popularity—not only free of harm to the plants but actively supporting the surrounding ecosystem, fostering a healthier and more sustainable tea-growing environment.
Tasting Notes: Egg roll pancakes, biscuit, hojicha, cocoa, buckwheat, corn leaves
Tie Bi Lun, North Nantou county, Taiwan
#2: Yefang Liugui Qing Cha Mei Shan Kou Shan Cha 2024
Harvested from a rare, nearly untouched plantation in Mei Shan Kou, an unknown area in Liugui, southern Taiwan, this tea is made from native Shan Cha (Camellia formosensis) growing at 1,400m altitude. The trees are tall and unmaintained and had not been cultivated in recent memory. The leaves, small and roughly rolled, resemble black tea at first glance, making them easy to misidentify. The farmers experimented with different leaf sizes and tea-making methods, and this version—sorted by size—was the most successful.
The bug-bitten leaves were processed through Sha Qing, lightly oxidized for two hours, rolled and finally dried using machine. This results in a unique balance between fresh green notes and minerality, with a fragrance that carries hints of grilled undertones. The taste is layered, with fermented grape and subtle rosé wine-like acidity. It holds both the structured complexity of wulong and the distinctive Liugui character of Shan Cha. Over multiple infusions, it evolves gracefully, showing an advanced yet restrained profile, full of Qi and depth. Though fragile, the leaves retain the signature wild energy of the region, embodying both the yin of low oxidation and the yang of its robust forest origins.
Tasting Notes: dried mango, bubble gum, tomato, ketchup, umami, persimon leaf
Winner of the Most Unique Tea award🏅
Left: Old shan cha leaves in Liu Gui, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Right: Lao Cong Shui Xian trees in Wu San Di, Wuyi Shan, Fujian, China.
#3: Wusandi Wuyi Yan Mao Cha 2024 (1-time baked) Lao Cong Shui Xian 2024
This tea is a true experiment—something rarely seen and almost impossible to obtain. In Wuyi Shan, no farmer or producer typically sells mao cha, the unfinished form of Yan Cha before its final baking. Yet, thanks to our close relationship with the producer—who won 1st place in this year’s Wuyi Shan official competition with another Shui Xian—we were able to secure something truly exclusive. This unfinished Lao Cong Shui Xian, after just one baking, is exactly how teas are sent to competitions. Unsurprisingly, it was the most favored tea in this edition, offering a rare glimpse into high-end Yan Cha in its purest form.
Sourced from Wu San Di, a small but highly respected area known for its 2,000-year-old Shui Xian trees, this tea stands out despite not being from Zheng Yan. In fact, Wu San Di tea is often priced even higher than average Zheng Yan (full rock tea). Ahead of this club edition, we released a YouTube video exploring this micro-terroir and the exceptional teas it produces.
Tasting Notes: Mint, bamboo, licorice, metalic
Winner of the Favorite Tea award🏅
#4: Shan Lin Xi 2024 Modern Dong Ding Gaoshan Wulong
This tea follows the Dong Ding method, undergoing three rounds of baking over 20+ hours, reaching up to 130°C over the course of three weeks. However, unlike traditional Dong Ding from Lugu, this version is crafted from high-mountain (Gaoshan) material grown at over 1,200m in Shan Lin Xi, an area not far from Lugu. The result is a cleaner, organic expression of modern Dong Ding, with a more refined aroma and a noticeably lighter soup color compared to its original counterpart.
Growing tea in Lugu has become increasingly difficult and unpopular due to decades of excessive pesticide use, which has left the soil acidic, overused, and toxic. Restoring such land requires time and careful ecological management, but in many parts of Taiwan and Japan, these issues remain largely unaddressed. This tea is an exception—offering the depth of traditional Dong Ding while benefiting from the cleaner, healthier environment of Shan Lin Xi’s high-altitude terroir.
Tasting Notes: biscuit, coffee, apricot, spicy on the tongue, chocolate milk
#5: Nong Xiang Anxi Tie Guan Yin Spring 2024
Every year, our tea maker crafts three Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin, each with a distinct grade and profile. This is the highest grade, named "Di" (地), meaning soil.
Picked on May 5th, 2024, this Tie Guan Yin was grown naturally without pesticides and processed in the traditional Xiao Zheng style with medium oxidation. It underwent a single charcoal baking—a method suited for advanced tea drinkers who appreciate the fresh aroma of Tie Guan Yin without overpowering the fire profile. The leaves were baked for 12 hours in July, three months after harvest, allowing them to rest and oxidize naturally, much like Yan Cha.
Before Tie Guan Yin’s boom in the early 2000s, this style was the standard, but it was later overshadowed by Qing Xiang—lighter, more floral, and perceived as more refined. We’ve also released a YouTube video diving deep into the traditional craftsmanship behind Tie Guan Yin.
Tasting Notes: Almond milk, nutty, butter cookie, zucchini
Our next Blind Tasting Club will mark its 10th edition and 4 years anniversary, featuring another carefully curated concept for Spring 2025. We will be shipping the club flights around June 2025 when spring season is over. Looking forward to seeing you all online this coming summer.
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