Alishan

Taiwan

Alishan (Ali Mountain) in Chiayi County is Taiwan's most famous high-mountain oolong-producing area and a flagship name in the global specialty tea market. The tea gardens above 1,000 meters are blanketed in fog for much of the year, naturally shading the leaves and boosting amino acid content for enhanced sweetness and umami. Alishan high-mountain oolongs are lightly oxidized and minimally roasted, preserving a signature buttery, floral character with notes of cream, gardenia, and sugarcane. The Jin Xuan cultivar grown here produces the popular 'Milk Oolong' with its natural creamy mouthfeel, though the finest Alishan oolongs use the Qing Xin cultivar for greater complexity.