There are many types of tea categorized by the degree of tea leaf fermentation.
茶葉能依發酵程度,分成多種茶款。

Taiwan is an island of high mountains with over two hundred mountains exceeding elevations of 3000 meters. As such, nature has provided Taiwan with a uniquely advantageous environment to grow tea plants;
台灣超過三千公尺以上的高山,超過兩百座。因此而得天獨厚的擁有最獨一無二的種茶環境優勢;

however, there is nothing quite like the A-li-shan tea from Chai-yi. A-li-shan Mountain is located at the Tropic of Cancer 23.5° North, straddling the torrid zone and temperate zone.
然而來自嘉義的阿里山茶是與眾不同的。阿里山位在北回歸線北緯23度半,跨越熱帶和溫帶兩個不同的季風氣候。

The clouds of high A-li-shan Mountain shield tea plants from the scorching sun, thus providing the optimal water and temperature for the tea plant growth at elevations of more than one thousand meters.
阿里山高山雲層屏障茶樹,免於烈日灼燒,又為海拔一千公尺以上生長茶樹,提供最佳活水與溫度。

The result is the amazing A-li-shan tea ready to be savored and enjoyed by those who seek it!
成果是這款驚艷好茶,呈現在你我面前,等待著識茶的人追尋享用!

Planting of Oolong Tea was first introduced to Taiwan from Xia-men and Fu-zhou by an English tea merchant John Dodd in 1868. Due to Taiwan's climate, John Dodd was successful in his first attempt at planting Oolong Tea in Taiwan.
烏龍茶種培是最初在1868年英國茶商約翰陶德從廈門、福州引進。台灣因氣候佳,約翰陶德在台灣試種第一次就成功。

John Dodd later branded the tea as Formosa Oolong and became a promoter for Taiwan tea to the western countries in the 19th century.
後來約翰陶德以「Formosa　Oolong」為品牌,為台灣茶在19世紀西方國家打出了銷路。

The most famous tea among various types of A-li-shan tea is the Oolong Tea. There is the popular A-li-shan Black Tea grown in fertile soil. The absence of pesticide invites soil-dwelling pests to bite the plant. The fermentation itself gives the A-li-shan Black Tea a unique hint of honey.
最有名的阿里山茶是烏龍茶。有一種是很受歡迎的阿里山紅茶, 種在肥沃的土壤。因為無農藥所招來一種小綠葉蟬的害蟲侵咬茶葉。自體發酵讓阿里山紅茶呈現一種蜜香風味。

There is also the very popular Formosa Black Tea grown in Miao-li. In recent years, the popularity of A-li-shan Black Tea has risen to rival Formosa Black Tea.
還有種極受歡迎種在苗栗的台灣紅茶。阿里山紅茶近幾年歡迎度已比得上台灣紅茶。

So how do you distinguish good tea from the others? Good tea should be bright yellow or bright green in color. In order for the tea to be as rich and mellow in taste as possible, the tea host usually dumps the tea from the first brew to allow the tea aroma to fully permeate through the second brew.
如何分辨茶湯優劣呢?好的茶湯會有明亮的黃色或綠色。為了要讓茶湯盡可能醇厚,東道主通常不喝第一泡,讓茶香完全滲透入第二泡。

Upon the first sip, the tea aroma should be lingering in the mouth; however, some good teas will taste bitter and astringent temporarily before the tea aroma kicks in.
第一口入喉,茶香會在喉頭縈繞;有的好茶初嚐起來比較苦比較澀,接下來,才會感受到茶香。

When you drink good tea, you can most certainly feel the soothing throat and nourishment of your body. This wonderful feeling needs to be experienced first-hand!
喝到了好茶,絕對肯定會感受到喉頭舒爽和身體療癒。這麼神奇一定要親身體會!

The prosperity of tea drinking in Taiwan eventually led to the development of Tea Culture and Way of Tea. The Tea Culture infuses flower, painting and musical arts into the enjoyment of tea in order to promote refinement in leisure tea drinking.
台灣喝茶很興盛,最終發展出茶文化和茶道。茶文化將花道書道和音樂,結合到品茶方式,提升品茶精緻。

The Way of Tea uses fine tea tasting as an instrument for followers to discuss and study the philosophy of life in order to elevate tea drinking to the way of life, which is an accumulation of thousands of years of fine Chinese culture.
茶道則是以品茶來結合同好和為了將茶飲提升為一種生活方式而一起討論與研究生活哲學 , 這也是中華精緻文化累積數千年的結晶。