Often imitated as an artificially scented ‘Milk Oolong’, this is a genuine, pure Jin Xuan cultivar tea grown throughout Taiwan and is renowned for its milky/creamy taste due to being naturally rich in lactones. This milky texture and taste can be a little elusive and depends on a multitude of factors like terroirs, season and weather.

The market is flooded with scented versions of this tea which range from pleasant to truly awful. On some occasions the additives are pointed out up front but in many cases they are not. It is advisable for everyone to try an original, pure, unscented cultivar. It may not be as powerfully milky as the scented versions but Alishan Delight is so much more balanced and nuanced with the bright green vegetal Oolong freshness contrasting with the creaminess.