Shanlin Xi Gui Fei is a roasted Taiwanese oolong from Shanlin Xi nature reserve. Gui Fei (贵妃) means imperial consort referring to the highest rank of imperial concubine in ancient china.

This tea belongs to a category of teas referred to as bug-bitten, meaning they encourage a species of insect known as tea jassids to munch on the leaves a little. This causes the leaves to produce certain chemicals that positively affect the flavour of the tea and make them taste unique. Obviously not every leaf will have been bitten, and in some cases the legitimacy to claims of tea being bug-bitten are questionable, but the unique taste is undeniable.

When infusing there are clear smelling notes of fermented fruit, and a bit of chocolate, there’s a light chocolatey roasted feeling in the mouth, it becomes a bit more vegetal and fruity in later infusions, over brewing will this tea may produce some unpleasant notes. I felt some strong caffeine effects from this tea.

This tea benefits from high heat brewing, besides brewing with boiling water, you can help this by preheating your teaware to prevent heat-loss, and using thick walled teaware such as a clay teapot to aid in heat retention.