Among the six major tea categories, oolong—known as “blue tea”—is the one that relies most heavily on craftsmanship. Taiwan’s oolong has long been celebrated worldwide for its exceptional artisanal techniques.

Taiwan is a subtropical island dotted with high mountains. Its climate and geography give tea trees a naturally privileged environment, yet tea farmers must cultivate their “green gold” on steep, narrow slopes—a task requiring remarkable strength and dedication.

Typhoons and earthquakes are unavoidable realities in Taiwan. Through decades of facing these challenges, tea farmers have refined their skills, innovated their methods, and poured relentless effort into perfecting every stage of tea making.

Many uniquely Taiwanese teas were born from this spirit.
Honey Duchess (Gui Fei Oolong) is one of them.

After the devastating 921 earthquake, tea farms in Nantou—one of the hardest-hit regions—were left unattended. Tender shoots were attacked by green leafhoppers. Leaves bitten by these insects curl, tear, and bruise; under traditional standards, they were considered damaged and should have been discarded.

But Taiwanese tea farmers have always known this truth:
When facing hardship, giving up doesn’t have to be the first answer.

They experimented with applying traditional Dong Ding oolong techniques, pushing this batch of “flawed leaves” into deeper fermentation.
The result was astonishing.

The finished tea revealed a clear, amber-gold liquor, a flavor carrying ripe fruit notes, honeyed aromas, and a clean lingering sweetness. The leaf edges displayed the distinctive green-leaf-with-red-rim appearance—a natural outcome of uneven oxidation.

Elegant and regal, it earned the name “Honey Duchess.”

What makes Honey Duchess captivating is not only its fragrance—it is the story it carries.
It represents an industry and a land responding to nature with understanding, creativity, and adaptability.

When the environment shifted, Taiwanese tea farmers chose to work with it rather than against it, transforming seemingly unfavorable conditions into one of Taiwan’s most iconic tea styles.

Taiwan may not always have the best conditions or the most abundant resources, but time and again, we turn ordinary—or even problematic—starting points into something remarkable.

A bad hand can become a new flavor.

That is Honey Duchess.
And that is the beauty of Taiwanese tea.