Mt Yu (Jade Mountain) — Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea
Tea farmer hand-picking Mt Yu high mountain oolong on Jade Mountain, Taiwan
Harvesting Taiwan high mountain oolong by hand above 2,000 metres on Yushan
Tea pickers working the cloud-covered tea gardens of Mt Yu, Taiwan
Fresh tea bushes on the misty slopes of Jade Mountain (Yushan), Taiwan
Jade-green oolong tea bushes growing on the high peaks of Yushan, Taiwan
Jade-green oolong tea bushes growing on the high peaks of Yushan, Taiwan
Mt Yu (Jade Mountain) — Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea
Tea farmer hand-picking Mt Yu high mountain oolong on Jade Mountain, Taiwan
Harvesting Taiwan high mountain oolong by hand above 2,000 metres on Yushan
Tea pickers working the cloud-covered tea gardens of Mt Yu, Taiwan
Fresh tea bushes on the misty slopes of Jade Mountain (Yushan), Taiwan
Jade-green oolong tea bushes growing on the high peaks of Yushan, Taiwan
Jade-green oolong tea bushes growing on the high peaks of Yushan, Taiwan
ValleyGreenTea

Mt Yu (Jade Mountain) — Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea

$53.80 AUD
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Mt Yu:
Jade Mountain High Mountain Oolong

Other names: Mt Yu Oolong, Yu Shan Oolong, Jade Mountain Oolong, Yushan High Mountain Oolong, Taiwan High Mountain Oolong, Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong, Taiwan Oolong Tea, Gao Shan Oolong, 玉山高山茶, 高山乌龙

 

What Is Mt Yu High Mountain Oolong?

There's a saying among Taiwanese tea drinkers: high mountain tea doesn't taste of sweetness — it tastes of cold.

Mt Yu (Jade Mountain, 玉山) takes that idea to its peak — literally. The Jade Mountain range is home to the highest summit in all of Taiwan, and our high mountain oolong tea from here is grown above 2,000 metres, even higher than neighbouring Alishan.

The cup is the essence of cold-mountain clarity: clean, cool, and crisp, like the bones of morning mist and the breath of stream stones.

The name fits the tea. Jade Mountain gives a liquor of beautiful pale jade-gold — and a pure, high, lifted aroma that only the very top elevations produce.

This is high mountain oolong (高山乌龙) at its most refined: rolled into tight jade-green pearls, lightly oxidised, every note sharpened by thin mountain air.

Like all Taiwanese rolled oolongs, it traces back to Fujian's Tie Guan Yin — the mainland cousin that crossed the strait in the 19th century. But grown this high, it becomes something else entirely.

Where Wuyi Rock Tea has its Rock Yun (岩韵), Mt Yu has the cool, elegant Mountain Yun (山韵) — and at 2,000 metres, it sings.

 

Why High Mountain Tea Is Different

High mountain tea is the tea world's most laid-back overachiever — and Mt Yu lives higher than almost any of them.

Above 2,000 metres, the Jade Mountain slopes are wrapped in cloud most of the day. The sun comes late, the nights are cold, and the tea grows slowly — one or two flushes a year instead of the four or five you get on the lowlands. That slowness is the whole secret: the longer a leaf takes to grow, the more it concentrates, which is why true high mountain oolong tastes sweet and fresh instead of bitter. It's not sweet because of how it's made — it's sweet because of how slowly it grew. And the higher you go, the truer it gets.

A note on altitude: Taiwan grades high mountain oolong by elevation — the higher the plantation, the more prized the tea. Mt Yu sits above 2,000 metres, putting it among the highest-grown oolongs you can buy. Its neighbour Mt Ali (Alishan) grows a little lower, around 1,200 metres — the two ranges were once a single landmass before a geological fault split them apart, which is why they feel like family with very different altitudes. Mt Ali is the classic entry to high mountain oolong; Mt Yu is the higher, more refined step up.

 

What to Expect in the Cup

Open the bag: tight, jade-green pearls, larger and fuller than lowland oolong leaves, each unfurling slowly as it brews. The dry aroma is pure and high — fresh florals over a whisper of cream.

In the cup:

  • Liquor: beautiful pale jade-gold, brilliantly clear — the colour the mountain is named for
  • Aroma: pure, high, and lifted — fresh orchid and a clean floral sweetness, more delicate than lower-grown oolongs
  • Texture: mellow and silky-smooth, soft and rounded across the palate
  • Finish: intense, long, and refreshing — a clean 回甘 (returning sweetness) that lingers and lingers, carrying that cool Mountain Yun (山韵)
  • Brews: wonderfully generous — 7-10 infusions, holding sweetness brew after brew, drawing you back for one more cup

Where Wuyi Rock Tea is bold and roasted, Mt Yu high mountain oolong is the opposite kind of pleasure — pure, elegant, lifted, with that signature high-altitude clarity. I

t's the cup for a slow morning and a clear head, the one you reach for when you want tea to feel like a deep breath of mountain air.

If Mt Ali is a window thrown open on a cool spring morning, Mt Yu is the view from the summit.

 

So — convinced? Brew this Mt Yu High Mountain Oolong the right way, check out our professional Brewing Guide, Storage Care, and The Origins below 👇
🍵 Brewing Guide

How to brew Mt Yu High Mountain Oolong?

High mountain oolong is more delicate than the roasted Wuyi teas, and the single most important rule is this: don't use fully boiling water. These light, fresh leaves scald easily — too much heat and the cup turns bitter, the delicate aroma gone. The sweet spot is 90-95°C. Grown at 2,000 metres, Mt Yu is even more delicate than most, so this matters all the more.

The Vessel: Gaiwan or Yixing Clay

A 100-150ml white porcelain gaiwan is ideal — it won't trap the fresh aroma and lets you admire the pale jade-gold liquor. A Yixing zisha teapot works well too. Browse our Gaiwan collection or Tea Infuser collection for vessels suited to gongfu brewing.

The Ritual (Gongfu Style)

  • Temperature: 90-95°C — bring water to the boil, then let it rest a minute. Never pour fully boiling water straight onto high mountain leaves.
  • Ratio: 5-7g for a 100-150ml gaiwan (about 1/3 full once the pearls open).
  • Step 1 — Warm the Vessel: Rinse gaiwan, fairness pitcher, and cups with hot water to hold the temperature steady.
  • Step 2 — Add the Leaves: Tip the pearls in and give them a gentle smell — fresh florals and cream.
  • Step 3 — Rinse (洗茶): Pour in water, decant within 5 seconds. Wakes the tightly rolled pearls.
  • Step 4 — First Brew: Steep 10-15 seconds. The pearls are only beginning to open.
  • Step 5 — Brews 2-3: 20-25 seconds. This is the peak — fullest aroma and sweetness.
  • Step 6 — Brews 4-6: 30-40 seconds as the flavour eases off but the sweetness holds.
  • Step 7 — Brew 7+: Push past a minute. A good Mt Yu keeps giving clean, sweet brews well past where you'd expect.

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Fully boiling water — the number one mistake. Scalds the leaves and turns the cup bitter.
  • ❌ Over-steeping the early brews — high mountain oolong wants quick, clean pours to keep that elegant character.
  • ❌ Using too few leaves — high mountain pearls open up large; give them room but don't under-dose.
  • ❌ Using a Yixing pot seasoned with roasted teas — the fresh aroma picks up whatever the clay remembers.
📦 Storage & Care

Storage Care for Mt Yu High Mountain Oolong

Mt Yu is a lightly oxidised, fragrance-forward oolong — its fresh, pure aroma is the whole point, and it needs protecting. Treat it more like a green tea than a roasted Wuyi.

  • Refrigerator is Best: Store sealed in the fridge to preserve the delicate high mountain aroma. Light, heat, and air all fade that fresh character.
  • Airtight Seal: Reseal the bag fully after every use. We highly recommend a Tea Bag Sealer to lock out moisture and fridge odours.
  • The Golden Rule (Crucial): When taking the bag out of the fridge, let it return to room temperature before opening. Opening a cold bag in warm air causes condensation that ruins the tea.
  • Drink Within 12 Months: High mountain oolong is at its best fresh. Unlike roasted teas, it does not improve with age — the fresh aroma is what you're paying for, so enjoy it while it's bright.
  • Keep Separate: It readily absorbs odours. Don't store next to coffee, spices, or scented foods.
🌿 The Origins

From the Peaks of Jade Mountain

  • Core Terroir: Mt Yu (Jade Mountain, 玉山), the highest mountain range in Taiwan — its main summit reaches 3,952 metres, the tallest peak in the country. Our high mountain oolong grows above 2,000 metres on these slopes, where heavy cloud, dramatic day-night temperature swings, and short sunlight hours slow the tea's growth and concentrate every drop of flavour.
  • The Cultivar: Grown from classic Taiwanese rolled-oolong cultivars, hand-picked and rolled into tight jade-green pearls. The style traces back to Fujian's Tie Guan Yin — Taiwan's tea industry began with cuttings carried across the strait in the 19th century — but grown this high, it develops a purity and lift all its own.
  • The Craft: Light oxidation and light (or no) roast, all to preserve the fresh, pure, floral mountain character. This is the opposite philosophy to Wuyi Rock Tea: where Wuyi builds flavour through fire, high mountain oolong protects flavour from it.
  • Altitude Grading: Taiwan grades high mountain oolong by elevation — the higher the plantation, the more prized the cup. At 2,000+ metres, Mt Yu is among the highest-grown oolongs available. Its neighbour Mt Ali (Alishan) grows around 1,200 metres — the two ranges were once a single landmass before a geological fault divided them. Mt Ali is the classic entry point; Mt Yu is the higher step up.
  • VGT Sourcing: For 18 years, Valley Green Tea has been the trusted destination to buy authentic loose leaf Chinese oolong tea online in Australia. Our Mt Yu high mountain oolong is sourced fresh-season and refrigerated in Sydney to protect its delicate aroma. Prefer bold and roasted instead? Explore our Wuyi Rock Tea collection for the other end of the oolong spectrum.
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