Tea Cultivar · Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Jin Xuan
- Origin
- Taiwan - TTES (Taiwan Tea Experiment Station)
- Registered
- 1981
- Primary use
- oolong
Overview
Jin Xuan, officially designated TTES #12, is a Taiwanese oolong cultivar bred at the Taiwan Tea Experiment Station and released in 1981. It is famous worldwide as the basis of so-called 'milk oolong' (nai xiang oolong) - a tea whose natural processing produces a soft, creamy, milky aroma without any added flavoring. Jin Xuan was the twelfth named release of the TTES breeding program and the first to gain international commercial fame.
Characteristics
A medium-leafed sinensis with thick, glossy, slightly broader leaves than Qing Xin and a vigorous, productive habit. It buds earlier than Qing Xin, tolerates lower elevations well, and yields more consistently - all traits deliberately bred to give farmers an economically viable alternative to the demanding Qing Xin.
Flavor profile
The signature note is a naturally occurring creamy, milky, slightly buttery aroma that emerges during rolling and oxidation - a result of specific volatile compounds (notably furaneol and a class of lactones) present in the cultivar. The body is smooth and sweet, with light floral notes (often gardenia or osmanthus) layered over the milky base. Note: the most aromatic 'milk oolong' on the market is often artificially flavored; true natural Jin Xuan has a subtle, gentle milkiness, not an aggressive one.
History
The Taiwan Tea Experiment Station (TTES, founded in 1903) launched a systematic breeding program in the post-war period aimed at producing high-yielding, hardy, aromatic oolong cultivars to reduce Taiwanese tea farmers' dependence on the temperamental Qing Xin. Jin Xuan was one of two breakthrough releases in the early 1980s: TTES #12 (Jin Xuan) and TTES #13 (Cuiyu). Jin Xuan's name combines 'Jin' (gold) with 'Xuan' - the personal name of the breeder Dr. Wu Chen-duo's mother, in her honor. The cultivar achieved rapid commercial success in Taiwan and was then exported as planting stock to Vietnam and northern Thailand, where it now underpins much of those countries' oolong industries.
Where it grows
Taiwan (Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin) · Vietnam, Thailand (extensive plantings)