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Organic Qin Yu "Nepo Baby" Oolong

Oolong · Luye Township, Taiwan

Organic Qin Yu "Nepo Baby" Oolong

$29.00 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.

Roasted Macadamia Nuts

Cantaloupe

Coconut Water

Chamomile

Honey

Magnolia Blossoms

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.

Relax

Soothe

Mild Euphoria

Qin Yu - the new "Nepo Baby" of the Tea World

For over 100 years Taiwan has been refining and cataloguing its tea cultivars, but some interesting developments have happened quite recently.

Qin Yu (沁玉) (literally "refreshing jade") was born from a deliberate pairing of two very famous Taiwanese tea cultivars: Jin Xuan (TTES No. 12) and Qing Xin Oolong. The combination of the milky, buttery Jin Xuan with the bright, floral Qing Xin created a perfect blend of the two. With such famous parents it is quite easy to see why Qin Yu could be labeled as a "Nepotism baby".

Qin Yu is an early-budding, high-yielding plant with dense, downy young shoots and strong resistance to pests and disease. The finished tea itself has a noticeable floral fragrance, and natural milky/buttery mouthfeel, imagine a fruity buttery dessert in a cup.

Unlike the legendary, historical Taiwanese cultivars that are often featured here, Qin Yu is still very much a new tea cultivar. Its official name dates only to 2014, and its cultivation and commercial presence is so new that it can easily be considered "cutting edge" for the tea world in terms of cultivars. For beginners, this would be a great option to start when exploring the world of Taiwan Teas, and for seasoned tea enthusiasts, this is a delicious addition to your collection!

Notes from Staff: Qin Yu is already a very interesting oolong tea, it has such a nice rounded quality - its a great way to try both Jin Xuan and Qing Xin simultaneously in a single tea time. It can also be a natural pairing with either of those teas in a tasting, you will be amazed how much the Qin Yu "child" has inherited from its prestigious tea "parents".

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.

Curious how bug-bitten tea works? Read What Is Bug-Bitten Tea? in our Journal.

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. Most of our teas are certified organic (USDA & EU), and every tea is traceable to the farm that made it.

Read our full guarantee →

Green OolongOrganic FarmsSmall Batch ProductionHand-harvested & ProcessedNo Added Flavors or Preservatives — Ever!Secure Checkout30-day Returns

Certified Organic — USDA & EU

Not sure yet? Try a Discovery Set

Origin & Terroir

Cultivar About this cultivar Qin Yu (沁玉), TTES No. 22, was born from a deliberate pairing of Jin Xuan (TTES No. 12) and Qing Xin Oolong. The cross was made by Taiwan's Tea Research and Extension Station in 1996, with Jin Xuan serving as the mother and Qing Xin as the father. The resulting seedlings were evaluated through years of individual selection, field trials, and tea-quality testing before Qin Yu was officially named in 2014 and granted plant-variety rights in 2015. It is a hearty, yet aromatic cultivar, still relatively unknown.: Qin Yu(沁玉) (literally "refreshing jade")
Status About this status This is a fairly brand-new tea in the world of Taiwanese Oolongs. Having only been a fully established tea cultivar as recently as 2014, this is still unknown for many tea lovers.: Rare
Processing method: Lightly Oxidized Green Oolong
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.: (20% · Low)

Region: Yong'an Village, Luye Township, Taitung County, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 2026
Elevation: 810 meters
Climate: Warm, Tropical, Mountainous
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.: (30% · 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.: (15% · Low)