favorite Gaoshan (high mountain) vendor

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Brent D
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Fri Feb 08, 2019 10:58 am

I think Gaoshan (Taiwanese high mountain oolong) tea is loved enough that it deserves to have its own vendor topic. This is the tea where my heart truly lies.
Who are your favorite vendors?
Tillerman is my current go to. Top quality and very well curated. I have also had good luck with Taiwan tea crafts. massive selection thats always rotating.
Teachronicles
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Fri Feb 08, 2019 11:11 am

My favorite is floating leaves tea
swordofmytriumph
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Fri Feb 08, 2019 11:13 am

Floating Leaves, Taiwan tea crafts. Also I got some really good stuff from Hojo, but I’ve only ever had one of his gaoshan teas (which was phenomenal) so take that with a grain of salt.
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OldWaysTea
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Fri Feb 08, 2019 11:28 am

I've gotten some nice teas from Floating Leaves and Tillerman.
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d.manuk
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Fri Feb 08, 2019 6:25 pm

http://www.tea-masters.com/en/
Some things sell out rather quickly
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Bok
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:09 am

For the winter harvest I recommend not to hold back this year! It has been good and yield was very low, buy now or it will be gone soon...
swordofmytriumph
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 4:48 am

Anyone have a vendor they like that sells unroasted highly oxidized gaoshan? I’m looking for anything above 30% oxidation.
Last edited by swordofmytriumph on Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
chofmann
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 9:28 am

Bok wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:09 am
For the winter harvest I recommend not to hold back this year! It has been good and yield was very low, buy now or it will be gone soon...
I second this comment.
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Baisao
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:17 pm

Bok wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:09 am
For the winter harvest I recommend not to hold back this year! It has been good and yield was very low, buy now or it will be gone soon...
Thanks, @Bok. Winter pick is the only gaoshan I like. Recommend any Western-facing sellers? (DM if you would like)
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Victoria
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:38 pm

Baisao wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:17 pm
Bok wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:09 am
For the winter harvest I recommend not to hold back this year! It has been good and yield was very low, buy now or it will be gone soon...
Thanks, Bok. Winter pick is the only gaoshan I like. Recommend any Western-facing sellers? (DM if you would like)
I can recommend Tillerman’s very fresh and rich winter LiShan. Although, were you looking for something specific?
In the past, I’ve had very good LiShan from Floating Leaves and Te Company also.
Ethan Kurland
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:28 pm

swordofmytriumph wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 4:48 am
Anyone have a vendor they like that sells unroasted highly oxidized gaoshan? I’m looking for anything above 30% oxidation.
What do you mean by "highly oxidized"? Gaoshan that in Taiwan would be called "Green" is usually about 5% and black tea is about 100% oxidized. What level in-between do you desire. (I am not going for an exact number such as 88%, but rather a term such as close to being just about black, or, about 3/4 of the way to being black, etc.)
I am still drinking the tea that I bought from this winter to find exactly what I feel about it and to describe it well (hopefully) and concisely. One is a gaoshan that is well-oxidized ( I am avoiding words such as medium or highly for the time being). Cheers
Ethan Kurland
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:38 pm

Bok wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:09 am
For the winter harvest I recommend not to hold back this year! It has been good and yield was very low, buy now or it will be gone soon...
+1
I am having difficulty deciding how much of what I bought, I want to sell. Finding reasons to put off offering some; or, so it seems. Need to speak with IRS (Internal Revenue Service) about 2017 taxes. Perhaps some financial problem will force me.....

Cheers
swordofmytriumph
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:55 pm

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:28 pm
swordofmytriumph wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 4:48 am
Anyone have a vendor they like that sells unroasted highly oxidized gaoshan? I’m looking for anything above 30% oxidation.
What do you mean by "highly oxidized"? Gaoshan that in Taiwan would be called "Green" is usually about 5% and black tea is about 100% oxidized. What level in-between do you desire. (I am not going for an exact number such as 88%, but rather a term such as close to being just about black, or, about 3/4 of the way to being black, etc.)
I am still drinking the tea that I bought from this winter to find exactly what I feel about it and to describe it well (hopefully) and concisely. One is a gaoshan that is well-oxidized ( I am avoiding words such as medium or highly for the time being). Cheers
So I could talk about numbers and percentages, but what I’m looking for is something that has that really deep flavor that a lot of more fully oxidized oolong tends to have. Like ripe fruit. Very obvious. I have a “deep fermented Lishan” from Hojo that got me hooked, and now I’m looking for more similar to try. Many of the websites I buy from tend to sell “low” oxidized as a general rule. I’m looking for something higher than that but actually black tea, I want something in the middle. Something high enough to be much more fruity and deep flavored than greener gaoshan but not oxidized enough to be black tea.
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Victoria
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Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:59 pm

swordofmytriumph wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:55 pm
Ethan Kurland wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:28 pm
swordofmytriumph wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 4:48 am
Anyone have a vendor they like that sells unroasted highly oxidized gaoshan? I’m looking for anything above 30% oxidation.
What do you mean by "highly oxidized"? Gaoshan that in Taiwan would be called "Green" is usually about 5% and black tea is about 100% oxidized. What level in-between do you desire. (I am not going for an exact number such as 88%, but rather a term such as close to being just about black, or, about 3/4 of the way to being black, etc.)
I am still drinking the tea that I bought from this winter to find exactly what I feel about it and to describe it well (hopefully) and concisely. One is a gaoshan that is well-oxidized ( I am avoiding words such as medium or highly for the time being). Cheers
So I could talk about numbers and percentages, but what I’m looking for is something that has that really deep flavor that a lot of more fully oxidized oolong tends to have. Like ripe fruit. Very obvious. I have a “deep fermented Lishan” from Hojo that got me hooked, and now I’m looking for more similar to try. Many of the websites I buy from tend to sell “low” oxidized as a general rule. I’m looking for something higher than that but actually black tea, I want something in the middle. Something high enough to be much more fruity and deep flavored than greener gaoshan but not oxidized enough to be black tea.
Are you looking for Oriental Beauty? Still oolong but higher oxidation levels, with a deeper honey fruit spice profile.
swordofmytriumph
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Sun Feb 10, 2019 12:19 am

Victoria wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:59 pm
Are you looking for Oriental Beauty? Still oolong but higher oxidation levels, with a deeper honey fruit spice profile.
I could try that. Now that I think about it I haven't tried any in years, since I was a new, baby tea drinker. I wasn't impressed at the time (hence not having any since), but my tastes have changed somewhat, and I've learned a lot.

It doesn't really matter to me if it's bug bitten though, any oolong with higher oxidation levels will do.
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