Sun Moon Lake's Award-Winning Tea Producer: Zhuang Ji Tea Co. Aged High Mountain Oriental Beauty Oolong

Mr. **Zhuang Rong-Pu**, the second-generation tea master of **Zhuang Ji Tea**, is widely regarded as the most renowned tea maker in the Sun Moon Lake region and is also one of Taiwan's most celebrated tea artisans.
 
For **eight consecutive years**, he has achieved the extraordinary distinction of winning the **Highest Honor (Champion Award)** in all four competition categories at the Sun Moon Lake Black Tea Competition:
 
1. Ruby black tea (TTES No.18)
 
2. Honyun black tea (TTES No.21)
 
3. Assam black Tea
 
4. Taiwan indigenous wild tea
 
Thanks to his remarkable record of consistently earning the top award, he has become affectionately known as the **"Sun Moon Lake Tea King."** (As you can see in the accompanying photos, the walls of his tea factory are lined with championship award plaques.) Rather than limiting himself to a single tea-growing region, Mr. Zhuang purchases fresh tea leaves from tea farmers throughout Taiwan and crafts teas from a wide range of cultivars and terroirs. Through working with diverse tea varieties and production areas, he continuously refines and perfects his tea-making skills.
 
A Rare Nine-Year Aged High Mountain Bai Hao Oolong
 
This precious **Aged High Mountain Bai Hao Oolong** was crafted in **Spring 2016** and carefully aged for **nine years**. During this long maturation process, its aroma has gradually evolved, becoming deeper, richer, and more complex. Time has transformed this tea into something truly fascinating, revealing flavors and fragrances that only years of natural aging can create.
 
Oriental Beauty's Honey Aroma Meets High Mountain Elegance
 
The tea is produced from the **Chin-Shin-Oolong** cultivar grown in **Cuifeng**, an alpine tea region at approximately **2,000 meters above sea level**. Its manufacturing process is almost identical to that of **Oriental Beauty Tea**. However, because it is made from **Chin-Shin-Oolong** rather than the **Chin-Shin-Dapan** cultivar traditionally used for Oriental Beauty, it is classified as **Bai Hao Oolong** instead. While it offers the signature honeyed sweetness associated with Oriental Beauty, it is further enhanced by the lingering freshness and elegant aftertaste unique to Taiwan's high mountain teas. The **second infusion** is especially recommended, as the leaves fully unfurl at this stage, releasing their most vibrant and floral aromas.
 
Three Exceptional Characteristics in One Cup
 
This extraordinary tea brings together three of Taiwan's most prized tea characteristics:
 
**The natural honey aroma** found in Oriental Beauty and Bai Hao Oolong
 
**The smooth body and lingering mountain aftertaste** of premium high mountain tea
 
**The distinctive ginseng-like aged aroma** that develops only through years of careful aging
 
The result is an exceptionally luxurious Taiwanese tea that offers all three remarkable flavor dimensions in a single cup.
 
Produced in an extremely limited quantity, this is a rare Taiwanese tea that we sincerely hope you will have the opportunity to experience.
 
Aroma & Flavor Notes: Honey • Longan • Lychee • Cinnamon • Apple
 
Manufacturing Process: Withering → Pan Firing (Kill-Green) → Resting & Rehydration (wrapped in cloth to encourage secondary oxidation) → Drying
 
Origin: Cuifeng, Nantou, Taiwan
 
Cultivar: Chin-Shin-Oolong
 
Elevation: 2,000 m
 
Tea Master: **Sun Moon Lake Tea King** – Zhuang Rong-Pu (Second Generation, Zhuang Ji Tea)
 
Harvest: Spring 2016
 
Oxidation: ★★★☆☆
 
Roasting: ☆☆☆☆☆
 

 
Tea Leaves : Water (5g : 150ml)
 
Water Temperature: 98°C (208°F)
 

 
Steeping Time
 
1st Infusion: 30 sec
 
2nd Infusion: 45 sec
 
3rd Infusion: 60 sec
 
For the fullest aromatic experience, we recommend using a traditional Taiwanese aroma cup set.