Fresh Fall Tea
Mountain Stream Teas Teaducation Subscription Service
September, 2026
The late summer and fall season of tea in Taiwan is upon us and in this month’s box are some of the freshest teas we have, along with a tea from last year to see if you can tell the difference. This season’s teas are a favorite of ours and we hope that you will enjoy them as well!
What are the teas we will look at this month?
We found some great examples of Fall teas this year. Included this month are:
1. Fall Pear Mountain, 2000m elevation, 25% Oxidization, hand picked on August 18th, 2026, Lishan, Nantou County, Qinxin
Tasting notes: Balanced sweet vegetal, stone fruit, thick mouthfeel and warm florals
2. Alpine White, 1200m elevation, 0% Oxidization, hand picked in Fall, 2026, Chi Lai Mountain, Nantou County, Qinxin
Tasting notes: white florals, hints of grass, sweet
3. Grandpa’s Favorite, 1800m elevation, 25% Oxidization, hand picked on Fall, 2026, Chilaishan, Nantou, Qinxin
Tasting notes: Smooth vegetal, thick mouthfeel, sweet/sour fruit
4. Shanlinxi Rose Petal Red Oolong, 1400m elevation, hand picked in Fall, 2026, Shanlinxi, Nantou, Qinxin
Tasting notes: Sweet strong rose florals, smooth red oolong malt
5. 2025 Jade Fall Oolong, 1400m elevation, 25% Oxidization, hand picked in Fall 2025, Jade Mountain, Chaiyi County, Qinxin
Cold Brew Tasting notes: smooth vegetal,
Why are ‘fall’ teas special?
In Taiwan, fall teas, picked from August to September, are viewed as less desirable for the local market. In lower elevations the teas are markedly more bitter and harsh and in higher elevations the teas made lack the lightness and freshness of the spring or winter picks. However, if you know what you are looking for, you can find some wonderful, affordable, and great tasting teas. The fall pick in the higher elevations, for example, offers a sweet, rich and fruity tea that is often the favorite of those who grew up with a ‘western’ palate. Fall is our favorite season for Pear Mountain Oolongs for example!
An absolute favorite of this tea company and many of our customers, the fresh fall teas included this month are from the same cultivar, picked and processed basically the same but at different elevations and areas. They both have the ‘Fall Tea’ characteristics of strength and warmth but are different due to the areas in which they are grown.
Does ‘Fresh’ Tea Matter?
We think so, and this month you can make the choice for yourself as well. Many vendors of Taiwanese tea will exclude the year of the harvest in communications or will have multiple year old high mountain oolong still for sale. While Taiwanese greenish oolong certainly doesn’t ‘go bad’ after a year like a Japanese green tea, we prefer to only have the freshest greenish teas possible on the site each year. In this month’s box we have included a great tea from last year along with the fresh teas from this year. Hopefully this will help you sus out year old greenish oolongs and help you understand if you think year old high mountain oolongs are past their prime. If you like them, it might work out well for you! They tend to be much cheaper than the fresh stuff…
The Mystery Tea
This month’s first mystery is to see if you can tell the fall teas apart! This year’s Fall Pear Mountain has stronger flavors and a smooth vegetal with a yellow fruit aftertaste. Grandpa’s Favorite is softer, smoother and just a great overall tea for every style of brewing. The Fall Jade is a tea from last year is markedly less fresh with a ‘stale’ note but still an exceptional tea. All three have warm flavors mirroring this year’s hot and humid summer in Taiwan. Can you tell them apart?
The October Box
The topic for next month’s box is slightly unknown at shipping time. We tentatively have the idea of a terroir study of an area of Taiwanese tea but that may change over the coming month. We also might do a black tea box, or something else along those lines. In any case, we will fill up a box with some great tea for sure!
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