Gui Fei Competition Grade Oolong

Prize Winning Tea

Traditionally processed oolong with a higher oxidation rate and lighter roast. The leaf is shaped into regular balls of rich, sweet, intense aroma with notes of dried cloves, raisins, and resin. Golden infusion of full, round, beautifully balanced flavors full of honey and ripe and dried fruit, with a light trace of vanilla and a heavier rose blossom aroma. Long lingering aftertaste full of honey and exotic flowers. 

The tea comes from the 2024 summer harvest and participated in a competition organized by the Lugu Dong Ding Tea Production Cooperative, where it made it to the finals. This makes it possible to call it Prize Winning Tea. The winning teas are then sold in a sealed gift box of 600 grams, a classic unit of measure in Taiwan (one Taiwanese JIN 斤 is 600g). This method of sale is anonymous, so we do not know the farmer's name or the exact place where the tea comes from. What is certain is that it was grown in Nantou County in the central part of the island. 

How to brew Gui Fei Oolong

These tea leaves are suitable for Asian-style preparation, which includes multiple infusions: you steep 5 grams of tea leaves per 150 ml of water that has boiled and cooled to 85–90 °C for 30 seconds, and in the following three infusions, you steep the leaves for 40, 60, and 90 seconds, respectively. Feel free to experiment with steeping time, water temperature, and the amount of tea leaves. You can also read our articles on tea preparation and water quality.

Story of Gui Fei Oolong

Gui Fei oolong is a remarkably distinctive Taiwanese tea, and stories worth mentioning are attached to it. It was launched relatively recently, more specifically in the years following the catastrophic earthquake of 21 September 1999, which disrupted the lives of all people, including tea growers. In the famous Dong Ding area, tea producers neglected their plantations while they were busy rebuilding their homes and workshops. The tea gardens thus remained at the mercy of green leafhoppers, which enjoyed the succulent leaves. Biting the leaves causes the shrubs to respond to invasive beetles by increasing the polyphenol content of the leaves so that they can then be repaired. More polyphenols also mean an increase in the content of tannins and after processing these leaves for tea: the rich aroma of forest honey and sweetness in taste.

To further highlight this sweetness, growers let the leaves oxidize to a higher level. Then gently roast the tea to further caramelize it, making it one of the most delicious liqueurs you can experience with Taiwanese teas.

Another story is related to the name of this tea. In honor of Oriental Beauty (Dong Feng Mei Ren), another "bitten" tea grown in the northern part of the island, growers in the Dong Ding area decided to name this tea in honor of the famous beauty in Chinese history. Yang Gui Fei was the beloved wife of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. A beautiful name for a delicious tea!