Jin Xuan

Jin Xuan, "Golden Lily," is Taiwan Tea Experiment Station cultivar No. 12. It came over from Alishan in the 1990s as the mountain turned from poppies to tea, and Doi Mae Salong turned out to suit it. This is the cultivar that made the region's name.

Naturally creamy and buttery. No flavoring, ever; the cultivar just does this. Pear, fresh dairy cream and orchid up front, a dense, almost oily texture, and a sweet floral finish that deepens steep after steep. If you've heard of "milk oolong," this is the real thing.

• Origin: Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai, Thailand
• Cultivar: Jin Xuan, TTES No. 12
• Oxidation: Light (about 20%), light roast, ball-rolled
• Brewing: 85 to 90°C. Gongfu: 5g per 100ml, short steeps, 7+ infusions. Western: 3g per 200ml, 2 to 3 minutes.