Our Tea Region
Chimney & Tea’s oolong tea comes from Taiwan — an island globally celebrated for its high mountain oolong teas and rich tea-growing traditions. Nestled in East Asia between Japan and China, Taiwan’s unique climate and mountainous terrain make it the ideal tea region for cultivating premium loose leaf oolong.
One of the most famous tea regions is Alishan (Ali Mountain), located over 2,600 meters above sea level. Known for its cool mist, rich soil, and seasonal harvests, Alishan produces smooth, aromatic high mountain oolong teas with
floral and sweet characteristics. It’s also home to breathtaking scenery, including cloud seas, cherry blossoms, and traditional Tsou indigenous culture.
Our Tea Plantation
Our tea plantation is located at Shihjhuo (or Shi-Zuo, means stone table), Alishan, at around 1,300 meters in elevation.
The tea in the garden is hand-harvested and hand-processed following a set of standards provided by the Taiwan Tea Corporation. The tea plants and leaves absorb the sunlight, pure spring water, and night fog from the hillsides.
Harvesting seasons typically start from April and May, and August and September. During this time, lines and lines of harvest crews will handpick the top 3 leaves from the tea plants which make the best quality oolong tea, gather them in rattan buckets, and transport them to our tea processing factory just a few minutes away.
Tea Processing
Mastery of Art
Tea processing is a skill and a mastery of art that has been passed down through generations in the family. A tea master not only needs to have the technical tea processing skill, but also the intuition to adapt their approach based on the conditions of each batch of tea. They also need to have knowledge of tea cultivation and farming.
Once tea processing begins, there is no stopping in between. It takes about two to three days from start to finish, and requires constant and careful monitoring during each step. This is a profession of passion, agility, wisdom, experience, and patience.
