Da Yu Ling
The highest-elevation Taiwanese oolong, from plots on the Central Cross-Island Highway above 2,200 metres. Much of the original planting has been returned to forest under government policy, which has made genuine Da Yu Ling scarcer and the name more heavily abused than any other in Taiwanese tea.
Character
The most concentrated expression of the high-mountain style: thick, sweet, with almost no astringency and a markedly long cooling finish. Whether it is meaningfully better than good Li Shan is a matter genuine drinkers disagree about.
- Flavour
- Floral, Creamy, Sweet
- Aroma
- Orchid, Fresh
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Silky, Rich
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- alpine flowers, cream, sugarcane, cucumber skin
- Aftertaste
- Very sweet, thick and cooling, with unusual length.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Taiwan
- Cultivar
- Qing Xin
- Oxidation
- Lightly oxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying
Authenticity: Far more Da Yu Ling is sold than the remaining plots can produce. Plot numbers are commonly quoted and are not independently verifiable by a buyer, so read the name as an indication of intended style unless the seller can substantiate the source.
Brewing
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
5–7 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 6 authored infusions
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 2 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Li Shan
Both Qing Xin high-mountain oolong; the difference is elevation and price rather than character.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Alishan oolong
Shares 7 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: floral, creamy, sweet, full bodied, silky, orchid and fresh.
- Shan Lin Xi
Shares 7 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: floral, creamy, sweet, full bodied, silky, orchid and fresh.
- Zhangping Shui Xian
Shares 7 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: floral, sweet, creamy, full bodied, silky, rich and orchid.
- Bai Ji Guan
Shares 6 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: sweet, floral, creamy, silky, fresh and orchid.
- High mountain oolong
Shares 6 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: floral, creamy, sweet, full bodied, silky and orchid.
- Jin Xuan
Shares 6 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: creamy, floral, sweet, silky, full bodied and orchid.
- Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin
Shares 6 descriptors with Da Yu Ling: floral, creamy, sweet, silky, orchid and fresh.
Written comparisons
Where TeaHQ has set this tea against another in full, rather than deriving the comparison.
- Taiwanese high mountain elevations compared — Three gaoshan areas at increasing elevation, and the differences are real, small, and heavily exploited by substitution.