Shan Lin Xi Oolong杉林溪烏龍
Gao Shan · Shan Lin Xi, Nantou County, Taiwan
Shan Lin Xi Oolong is a Gao Shan oolong from Shan Lin Xi, Nantou County, Taiwan. Brew it at 90°C with 5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 8 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.
Quick facts
- Origin
- Shan Lin Xi, Nantou County, Taiwan
- Category
- Oolong
- Cultivar
- Qing Xin
- Oxidation
- light
- Roast
- none
- Water temp
- 90°C
- Leaf ratio
- 5g / 100ml
- Infusions
- up to 8
- Rinse
- No
Tasting notes
You taste the cedar forest before you taste the tea. Shan Lin Xi is grown among cedar and cypress at around 1,600m, and whatever the mechanism — root uptake, airborne terpenes, microclimate — the cup reliably carries a cool, woody aroma that no other gao shan reproduces. Where Ali Shan and Li Shan lean creamy and thick, Shan Lin Xi goes the other way: structured, crisp, almost alpine, with white-flower florals and a mineral finish that reads clean rather than rich. Later steeps drift toward wheatgrass and ground cherry. Keep the water cooler than instinct tells you — 85–90°C, no higher — because pushing past that flattens the cedar note, which is exactly what you came for. Standard 5g, patient first steep to unroll the pellets, and don't over-leaf: this is a tea that rewards restraint and punishes a crammed gaiwan. Best drunk in cool weather when the cold aroma has something to play against.
Flavor profile
Clean, crisp, and distinctly cool-toned — a signature 'cold aroma' from the surrounding cedar forest. White-flower florals with a backbone of alpine freshness, hints of vanilla, and a bright mineral finish. Less creamy than Ali Shan or Li Shan, more structured and refreshing.
Terroir
High elevation (~1600m), tea trees grow interspersed with cedar and cypress forest, cool misty climate
Cultivar: Qing Xin
Brewing
- Steep 1: 30 seconds
- Steep 2: 20 seconds
- Steep 3: 20 seconds
- Steep 4: 25 seconds
- Steep 5: 30 seconds
- Steep 6: 35 seconds
- Steep 7: 40 seconds
- Steep 8: 50 seconds
Standard gao shan parameters. The cedar-forest character comes through best at 85–90°C — going hotter can flatten the distinctive cool aroma.
Aroma & taste
Aroma
- cedar
- white flowers
- vanilla
Taste
- crisp alpine
- mineral
- ground cherry
- wheat grass
Processing
- withered
- semi-oxidized
- ball-rolled
Sources
- https://beautifultaiwantea.com/products/shanlinxi-special-reserve-tea-taiwan
- https://beautifultaiwantea.com/blogs/beautifultaiwantea/brewing-high-mountain-oolong-from-taiwan
- https://eco-cha.com/products/shan-lin-xi-high-mountain-oolong-tea
- https://meileaf.com/resources/pdf/mei-leaf-tea-brewing-guide.pdf
- https://www.sperotea.com/shan-lin-xi-high-mountain-oolong-tea-knowledge/?lang=en