Hey tea friends, I’ve found another exceptional batch of Mt. Qilai oolong! The tea garden is located right near the Tunyuan Trailhead, sourced from the same tea factory as last year’s spring harvest. This batch is the real deal—incredible aroma and a fantastic, lingering aftertaste (hou yun).
Spring Tea from Tunyuan Trailhead
We had quite a dry spring this year, so the key to tea quality this season came down entirely to irrigation. Out of all the tea gardens I’ve seen, this Mt. Qilai farm was by far the best prepared. Not only do they have a massive setup of water towers and advanced irrigation systems, but to leave absolutely nothing to chance, they invested heavily in drilling a deep well up there at 1,800 meters. Their irrigation game is top-tier, bar none.
Thanks to that abundant water supply, the crop was completely unaffected by the drought. The first two photos were taken back in April—you can see the soil was still damp from fresh watering, and the fertilizer had dissolved beautifully. The later photos are from the May harvest. As expected, the fresh leaves looked stunning. With leaves this healthy, as long as the weather holds up during harvest, you’re looking at a 100% guarantee of excellent tea.
How does this compare to our previous Mt. Qilai batch?
If you ask me which one is better, I’d say it’s a tight 51% to 49% split—this new one wins by a hair, but they are incredibly close. This batch has a slightly richer, more viscous mouthfeel (pectin richness) and better potential for aging and transformation. The previous one, on the other hand, carries a stronger, punchier floral aroma in the tea soup. Honestly, if you ask me again tomorrow, I might change my mind because they are just that close. If you can’t decide, my honest advice is to just grab 150g (4 taels) of each. Give them a taste test first, and then come back for more of your favorite.
Top-Tier Quality
This is high-quality Mt. Qilai tea at its finest. The garden sits near the Tunyuan Trailhead at an altitude of about 1,900 meters, with top-notch irrigation and fertilization management. Both Mt. Qilai batches I found this year are phenomenal—they easily outperform 90% of the Lishan teas on the market. I stand by this quality 100%. I highly encourage you to taste it side-by-side with any other high-altitude spring teas out there!
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