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Grass People Tree

Osmanthus Oolong

£10.80
£10.80
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

林老師傳統工藝 桂花烏龍茶｜青茶 

Osmanthus Oolong has been one of our most loved teas, its extraordinary fragrance and  mouth feel will take you to experience the abundant, colourful autumn in Guizhou that is impossible to describe with words. 

Applying only traditional methods in the making, this unique tea is 100% seasonal, single origin and small batched, it is also exceptionally aromatic and deeply comforting. Expect a revitalising feast for your nose and mouth, the bold flavours and aromas will remain radiant even after 10 steeps with boiling water. A great tea for slowing down, freshening up or making you or others smile :)

Our intention to share this traditionally crafted tea with you because most of the Osmanthus Black/Oolong, or Jasmine Green Tea produced today are no longer made this way:

No plantation involved: This tea comes from wild & indigenous tea plants and Osmanthus tea trees that uniquely exist in the Guizhou region. 

No multi-origin or multi-grade blending is involved: The tea plants and the Osmanthus trees have been neighbours for centuries, nature’s arrangement brought life to this tea, not the other way around. 

No nasty fertilisers involved - The Osmanthus flowers were collected when they matured and naturally fell from the branches.

No flavour enhancement additives - Fresh Osmanthus flowers layered with autumn Oolong to "sit still" together for 2-4 days when they were at their optimum freshness.

No artificial heating for speed sake: Tirelessly turning & tossing with minimal heat from the charcoal fire.

No machinery involved: The flowers are handpicked out from the blend. The batch is then roasted again repeatedly. 

Taste Profile

Sweet, Floral, and Fragrant

Feel
  • Refreshing & Cooling
  • Awakening
Health Benefits
  • Blood Sugar Management
  • De-stressing & Mood Lifting
  • Digestion & Gut Health
  • Immune Boosting
Season
  • 2022 Autumn
Indigenous Tree Type

Bird King Big Leaf 鳥王大葉種

Tree Age

400 - 600 y/o

Habitat

Pan Yin Mountain (Qian Xi Nan, Guizhou)

Elevation

1200-1400m

Cultural Significance

On Osmanthus Oolong:
The cultural tradition of making and drinking Osmanthus tea partly comes from the Chinese way of living 「应景」"Ying Jing": in harmony with the landscape and seasonality.

While Osmanthus flowers bloom year-round, it is during autumn that their colour is most vibrant, their aroma is strongest, and their fragrance most refreshing, which is why fall is the perfect season to offer this traditionally-crafted Qing Cha.

On Qing Cha:
We prefer to call our "Oolong tea" Qing (/Ching/) Cha. It was categorised as one of the six types of traditional Chinese tea in the 70s. Due to the commercial popularity of Taiwanese-style Oolong from the 90s, the depths and breadths of Qing Cha have yet to be fully discovered by most.

Our Qing Cha comes from wild, ancient, indigenous medium/big-leaf tea trees and is 100% seasonal, local, and small-batched. Following the precious guidance of Master Lin, our intention in offering this tea is to honour and revive the ancient understanding and craftsmanship of traditional Qing Cha that has been unique to the Guizhou southwest region.

    Customer Reviews

    Based on 4 reviews
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    sou
    The best oolong ever!

    Most oolong teas in the market have a bitter taste. Not this one. Steep it for hours if you please, it'll only have a stronger beautiful beyond-words flavor, taste and smell. Thank you GPT!

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    Ashley Gregory
    Magical

    This tea is pure beauty. The smell is beyond words and the sense of presence and connection is profound.

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    Astrid Ricketts
    This is my favourite tea ever!

    I absolutely love the Osmanthus Oolong from Grass People Tree. The scent is out of this world and the taste is very refreshing. This will always be in my subscription box.

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    Anita Jackson
    Unmatched quality, flavor

    I've tried so many different teas available in the US. This one is just far beyond anything else I've tried in terms of quality and flavor. There's a certain sweet, floral, fresh quality that I haven't experienced in any other tea--not even in fine restaurants with loose leaf teas. In the way that wine enthusiasts talk about terroir, there's something special about this tea from this place that you won't find elsewhere. It's unique, and uniquely excellent. And honestly, it's a great value; you truly can rebrew the leaves several times and discover delicate, unfolding flavors each time.