Tea Lover’s Inquiry: I’m almost out of tea. When does the winter tea usually come out? Also, I saw a tea shop selling Lishan winter tea a few days ago—is it true that winter tea is already available in early October? And which month’s harvest offers the best quality?
Liao Chang Xing's Response: "Winter Tea Release Date"
High mountain winter teas are generally harvested starting from the highest elevations. Because nighttime temperatures in high mountains above 2,000 meters often drop below 10°C by late October, the tea leaves age rapidly once it gets cold. If not harvested early, the quality will decline. Some ultra-high mountain tea gardens even harvest their winter tea in September. To answer your question: “Is it true that winter tea is available in early October?” Yes, it is. In tea regions like Lishan, Dayuling, and HuaGung, harvesting winter tea in early October is “completely normal.”
As for lowland winter teas, they are harvested around October to December. Regions like lower-elevation Zhushan Township, Mingjian, Lugu, lower-elevation Meishan, Pinglin, and Shiding generally see their winter teas hit the market around late October to November.
Pros and Cons of Early Harvesting for High Mountain Winter Tea
Harvesting high mountain winter tea as early as late September or early October is primarily because temperatures in the high mountains drop too fast in October. Harvesting earlier helps minimize risks and maintain leaf quality. However, there are downsides to picking too early: sometimes in late September and early October, the high mountains are still quite warm, making the harvested leaves prone to higher bitterness and astringency, carrying characteristics more typical of summer or autumn teas.
Which Month's Winter Tea Quality is Better?
For high mountains above 2,000 meters, harvesting between October 5th and 15th is ideal. For elevations between 1,500 and 2,000 meters, picking before October 20th is best. For lowland teas, mid-October to mid-November is the optimal period.