January 2026 Sub

Roasted Teas Deep Dive IV

Mountain Stream Teas Teaducation Subscription Service

January, 2026

This month we are looking at teas that are best had on cold days and have a flavor profile that might be an ‘acquired taste’ for many. We are talking about roasted teas of course, and this month we have a bunch of them. Expensive and cheap, freshly roasted and those with time to settle, we tried to get a big sample of different kinds of roasts so you will be better armed to make up your own educated opinions about this strong opinion forming style of Taiwanese Teas!

What are the teas we will look at this month?

Included this month are:

1. Golden Muzha Tieguanyin (Mid-Heavy Electric Roast), 400m elevation, 60% Oxidization, 4 electric roasts, hand picked in spring, 2022, Muzha, New Taipei City, Jinxuan

Tasting notes: Soft roast, smooth mid mouth transition to sweet fruit thick mouthfeel

1. Mayor’s Alishan Light Roast, 800m elevation, 30% Oxidization, electric roast, hand picked in spring, 2025, Alishan, Nantou, Jinxuan

Tasting notes: Subtle floral, fruit and stronger vegetal, vanilla 

1. Mayor’s Alishan Medium Roast, 800m elevation, 30% Oxidization, electric roast, hand picked in spring, 2025, Alishan, Nantou, Junxuan

Tasting notes: Warm roast, caramel, fruit and nuts

1. Competition Muzha Tieguanyin, 400m elevation, 60% Oxidization, 4 electric roasts, hand picked in spring, 2023, Muzha, New Taipei City, Jinxuan

Tasting notes: Strong roast, smooth, hints of berry sweetness

1. Su San Pian’s Electric Roast, 800m elevation, 60% Oxidization, electric heavy roast, hand picked in spring, 2025, Dong Ding, Nantou, Wuyi

Tasting notes: Warm roast, soft vegetal, deep fruit aftertaste, wonderful body feel

1. Acacia Charcoal Roasted Milk Oolong, 400m elevation, 30% Oxidization, 1 charcoal roast, hand picked in spring, 2025, Taoyuan City, Taoyuan, Milk Oolong

Tasting notes: Soft roast, smooth mid mouth transition to sweet fruit thick mouthfeel

Why Roast a Tea?

The proper reason is to introduce complexity, depth and longevity to an already beautifully produced tea. Another reason is to improve a terrible tea to mediocre, and therefore make it sellable, or perhaps to gamble and age the tea to make it better over time. The teas included this month are examples of the first reason. We hope you enjoy them.

Electric Vs Charcoal Roast

Like so many things in life, the difference between these two styles of roast come down to skill and convenience. Electric roasts are much easier to do and can create gorgeous teas. Charcoal roasts are much, much harder to do and can make some of the highest quality tea on the market. Turning a dial vs the right amount of charcoal fired for the right amount of time covered in the right amount of rice husks the right distance from the tea for the right amount of time etc etc. The skill of charcoal roasting alone is equivalent to all the other skills involved in making tea.

The biggest difference in taste is in the feel and ‘charcoalness’ of charcoal roasted teas. They feel ‘warmer,’ and the strength of the roast is usually a little too much for most tea drinkers. Especially those new to high quality tea. Those that love charcoal roasted teas, however, often speak of how they love how the tea makes them feel, more than the taste itself. Electric roasted teas offer more control in the roasting process and more variation in the finished taste profiles. Both have their place. We hope that you enjoy them both!

** Su San Pian’s Electric Dong Ding is a very special tea. Try to get some time and brew it with intention. It is one of the best roasted teas we have had in a long time!

Teas To Compare and Contrast

1.  The obvious one is the Mayor’s Alishan pair. See if you can pick out the similarities and difference of the teas due to the roast level.

2. The Muzha teas are made from the same tea trees but treated very differently during processing. Much more care was placed in the making of the competition tea, as they wanted a certain smooth taste point for the judges.

3.  The Acacia roast is the only charcoal roasted tea out of the bunch this year. Try and tell the difference between it and the other electric roasted teas, especially in the body feel!

The Mystery Tea

Can you tell the two Muzha teas apart? Both are Jinxuan and both are heavily electric roasted, but one is meant to be placed in the competition and the other was made for everyday drinking. Do you agree?

The February Box

The February box will be filled with the best and most popular teas of last year. Our 2025 stats will get tabulated to fill out that box and we might include a surprise or two!