Organic "Alluring Aroma" Ying Xiang Oolong Tea

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Tasting notes

About these tasting notes

These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.

Brown sugar Whipped cream Hazelnut Apple cider Dried apricot

Effects

About these effects

These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.

Energy Focus Mild feeling of euphoria

Ying Xiang - the aromatic cultivar

Ying Xiang, meaning “Alluring Aroma” or “Welcome Scent,” is a cultivar prized for exactly what its name suggests: a wonderfully pronounced aroma. Originally developed for green oolongs such as Baozhong, Ying Xiang has since found its way into a variety of styles, from lightly oxidized oolongs to black tea and winter harvest teas.

This cultivar is especially interesting because it can take on very different personalities depending on how it is processed. As a lighter oolong, Ying Xiang can show off floral and creamy notes alongside a distinct mineral character, while higher oxidation brings out deeper savory, fruity, and honeyed flavors. It is also an excellent cultivar for Dong Pian, where its ability to remain supple through the colder late-season weather can produce some especially complex teas.

Notes from Staff: Ying Xiang is one of those cultivars that really lives up to its name. The aroma is the first thing you'll notice, but there is plenty going on underneath it too. Depending on the season and processing, it can lean floral and creamy or become much fruitier and honeyed, with a satisfying finish that keeps you coming back for another sip. It's also a remarkably resilient cultivar, which makes it a favorite among Taiwanese tea growers and an interesting one to explore in different styles.

Most tea today is roasted using an electric method, because it is faster, cheaper, and requires less skill, thus making it more consistent. This tea was roasted the traditional way: by an artisan's hand, over charcoal embers, using low heat over the course of many days under careful supervision. It takes far more knowledge, fuel, and time than electric roasting, but it rewards the tea with deeper flavor and the ability to age gracefully for decades.

This tea's honeyed, fruit-forward character isn't an additive — it comes from insects. Leafhoppers feed only on gardens grown without pesticides, and their bites trigger the plant to release aromatic compounds no processing technique can fake. The tradeoff: bitten leaves are smaller and far less abundant, so gardens that allow this yield a fraction of a normal harvest.

Old Mountain Tea Guarantee

Our teas are guaranteed free from harmful chemicals. We source directly from small, clean family farms that take real pride in their work — no middlemen, no anonymous blends. Many of these teas are bug-bitten, and leafhoppers only feed on gardens grown without pesticides, so the leaf itself is living proof the garden is clean. Every tea is grown to organic standards and traceable to the farm that made it.

Read our full guarantee →

Rare Cultivar, Fanzhuang OolongOrganic FarmsSmall Batch ProductionHand-harvested & ProcessedNo Added Flavors or Preservatives — Ever!Secure Checkout30-day Returns

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Origin & Terroir

Cultivar About this cultivar Ying Xiang, also known as Tai Cha #20 or TTES No. 20, is a Taiwanese tea cultivar developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) and officially released in 2004. It was created by crossing two well-known Taiwanese cultivars: Qing Xin Oolong and Jin Xuan, specifically the TRES #12 strain, also known as Tainong No. 2022.: Ying Xiang TTES #20(迎香) (literally "Irresistible Fragrance")
Status: Rare Cultivar
Processing method: Fanzhuang Oolong(番庄烏龍茶)
Charcoal roast level Why charcoal roasting costs more Roasted by hand over low charcoal embers across multiple sessions and days, far slower than electric roasting. It deepens flavor and lets the tea age well, which is why charcoal-roasted teas cost more.: (65% · Medium-High)

Region: Puli Protected Conservation Area, Puli Township, Taiwan
Harvest: Summer 2026(Organic)
Elevation: 490 meters
Climate: Humid, Tropical
Oxidation level What oxidation level means Oxidation is what turns green tea into oolong or black tea — as leaves are bruised and rested, enzymes react with oxygen and deepen their color and flavor. Green tea sees almost none; oolong ranges widely; black tea is oxidized fully.: (40% · Medium)
Picking style Why picking style matters Hand-plucking means workers select each bud and leaf by touch, one at a time — far slower and more expensive than machine harvesting, but gentler on the leaf. As labor costs rise, fewer gardens still pick this way, making hand-plucked tea increasingly rare.: Hand Plucked
Bug-bitten level Why bug-bitten tea costs more These leaves were bitten by tiny leafhoppers, which only feed on pesticide-free gardens. Their bites trigger the plant's natural defenses, producing honeyed, fruity notes — but damaged leaves mean a much smaller harvest.: (75% · Medium-High)