Organic Jin Xuan "Gold Standard" Oolong Tea

$5.25 USD

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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.

Creme Brulee Caramel Dates Toasted Almonds

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.

Relaxation Mildly uplifting Sense of calm

Jin Xuan - The Original "Milk Tea Oolong" cultivar

Jin Xuan (金萱乌龙) is one of Taiwan’s most beloved oolong cultivars, best known for its naturally creamy, buttery character and soft floral aroma. Officially developed by Taiwan’s Tea Research and Extension Station as TTES No. 12 (Tai Cha #12), Jin Xuan has become one of the country’s most widely grown tea cultivars. Its natural creaminess is often mistaken for artificial flavoring, but genuine Jin Xuan derives its milky aroma from specific compounds like lactones produced in the leaf itself, and lingers for multiple steeps!

Often called “Milk Oolong,” its naturally smooth, milky impression makes it an easy favorite. It is also a wonderfully versatile cultivar, producing everything from light, floral high-mountain oolongs to warmer, toastier styles. For a premium little moment of self-care, or an afternoon to unwind with friends, this milky, floral oolong will hit the spot!

Notes from Staff: Perfect tea for a weekend afternoon with friends. Best brewed in short steeps of 20-30 seconds, it gives off a gentle buttery, milky, and slightly "toasted" aroma. Easy to drink and highly re-steepable, this one can last for up to 10 infusions.

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.

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.

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Origin & Terroir

Cultivar About this cultivar Jin Xuan (金萱), also known as Tai Cha No. 12 or Golden Lily, is a Taiwanese hybrid cultivar developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) and released in 1981. Bred from Ying Zhi Hong Xin × TTES No. 8, it was selected for high yields, resilience, and pest resistance. Today it is widely grown in mountain regions such as Alishan and Nantou, where cool, misty conditions help develop its character. Best known as a semi-oxidized oolong, Jin Xuan produces naturally creamy, buttery, floral, and fruity notes and can also be made into green or black tea. Its famous “milky” character is entirely natural, coming from compounds in the leaf such as lactones, rather than added flavoring.: Jin Xuan(金萱乌龙) TTES #12
Status: Common
Processing method: Medium Oxidized
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: Ren'ai Township, Faxiang Village, Nantou County, Taiwan
Harvest: Winter 2025
Elevation: 1089 meters
Climate: Cool, Mountainous, Temperate
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.: (35% · 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: 0%