Though many of our dark roasted oolongs hail from similar elevations, the term "high mountain oolong" has become synonymous with bright, creamy teas, from central Taiwan’s storied ranges.

High elevations have a distinct effect on the nature of a tea’s leaves. Above 1000m, plants mature quite slowly allowing sugars to accumulate in the leaves and sweeten the tea, and the unique weather patterns of these alpine gardens with their bright, sunny mornings, increases the development of flavor compounds in the leaves, that are then locked in with the afternoon’s incoming mists and dropping temperatures.

We don’t usually put much emphasis behind the elevations our teas are grown, choosing instead to focus on the artistry of tea making post-harvest, where skilled craftsman can transform, emphasize, or unearth qualities of sweetness, flavor, and depth through controlled oxidation, firing temperatures, or deep, caramelizing roasts. Minimally crafted teas, however, like greens or green oolongs, maintain their “close to the bush” qualities. In these cases, the onus of great tea making shifts from the craftsman to the garden and gardener. With just the lightest of charcoal bakes to set the flavor and preserve the tea, Green Heart is an incredibly clear example of the phenomenon of high elevation tea growing, brewing with a verdant sweetness and the thick, creamy texture of a classic high mountain oolong.