The Dayuling tea region primarily harvests spring and winter teas, but autumn tea is actually produced here as well, and the quality is quite good. Dayuling autumn tea is harvested around August. Although it’s called autumn tea, Dayuling sits at a high altitude where summers and autumns are far from hot, with nighttime temperatures dropping below 15°C. Tea farmers decide whether to harvest the autumn crop based on the tea’s growth conditions. It’s a hidden gem known mostly to seasoned tea enthusiasts.
Because of its solid quality, Dayuling autumn tea has been produced for a long time, though very few tea merchants actually tell consumers it’s autumn tea. A more common scenario is that it gets blended into winter tea or sold directly as winter tea. While its aroma and mouthfeel may not quite match the spring and winter harvests, its quality still reaches heights that other high-mountain spring and winter teas struggle to attain. Plus, Dayuling autumn tea retains the characteristic local mountain aura. Combined with a price tag that is only half that of spring tea, it makes an excellent entry point for beginners exploring Dayuling tea.
Producing autumn tea requires tea leaves of sufficient maturity, and not every Dayuling farmer chooses to harvest in the autumn. As a result, it’s not always readily available and usually requires advance reservation with the farmers. If you are looking to purchase authentic Dayuling autumn tea, feel free to contact Chang-Hsing Tea Co. between late July and early August. Prices run around NT$2,000.
▲ Dayuling autumn tea is limited in volume and exceptional in quality.