Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This quality Alishan Charcoal Fire Heavy Roast Oolong is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Alishan oolong tea. Use only the charcoal made of either Taiwan Longan wood or Taiwan Acacia wood to roast the tea (NOT by electric roasters), and follow old traditional method. This tea has an intense charcoal aroma and taste mixing with flavors of Alishan oolong. The aftertaste is enjoyable and long lasting. It tastes sweet, rich and complex, and stands up very well to multiple infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had an occasional charcoal roasted Oolong, but I can’t recall having very many AliShan charcoal roasted Oolong teas! I know I’ve had at least one, but, I can’t recall many others. So, I’m very happy to have this opportunity to try this AliShan Charcoal Fire Heavy Roast Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea!
This is lovely!
To brew, I reached for my gaiwan. I measured a bamboo scoop of tea and put it into the gaiwan. I heated the water to 180°F and after performing a quick rinse (15 seconds), I started the first infusion, steeping it for 45 seconds. I added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusions. Since this is a charcoal roasted AliShan, I opted not to use my designated AliShan Oolong Yixing mug and instead put the tea in one of my favorite tea cups. This tea cup holds two infusions perfectly, so I combined the first two infusions to make one cup. Then the third and fourth infusion combined made the second cup and so on.
With my first cup, the roasty-toasty flavors brought as smile to my face. It’s deliciously nutty and sweet. While an unroasted AliShan may taste floral and even a little ‘milky’ – this instead tastes nutty, creamy and sweet. I taste notes of the charcoal. It’s remarkably smooth with very little astringency and no bitterness.
My second cup was even more ‘roasty-toasty’ and I could pick up on more of the charcoal notes. Still deliciously nutty and sweet! The creaminess has subsided somewhat. This cup is less thick than the first, and there is a slight dryness to it. Still really nice.
The third cup was a little more mellow than the second cup. I’m starting to pick up on some light floral notes – like toasted orchid! It’s an interesting contrast of flavors. I think that this is the most interesting of the three cups. The cup is softer in texture. The charcoal notes are more pronounced. This cup isn’t as nutty as the first and second cups were but there are still some nutty tones. This is still roasty-toasty and really pleasant to sip.
I really enjoyed this tea.
Taiwan DongDing (TungTing) Charcoal Baked Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
The hand-plucked leaves of Dong Ding Oolong are grown in the Dong Ding region of Taiwan at the elevation of 740 meters. At this elevation, the leaves absorb moisture from the surrounding fog and clouds every morning and afternoon which is ideal for Oolong plants. Due to the unique geographic location and stringent selection of leaves, this is the finest Dong Ding Oolong from the Dong Ding estate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Dong Ding from Fong Mong has been charcoal baked and you can really taste that element in this tea! It’s a really nice complement to the natural nutty flavors of the Oolong tea. This is really one of the tastiest Dong Ding Oolong teas I’ve tasted in a while and I think that the fact that it was charcoal baked makes all the difference.
My first cup was sweet and nutty with a distinct charcoal note. I could taste the charred wood and a hint of smoke. There was a creaminess to the cup, but it wasn’t like a heavy creamy note or a buttery note. It was more like browned butter. Smooth and silky; it didn’t feel heavy on the palate.
The sip starts out sweet with notes of honey. I start picking up on the nutty flavors almost immediately. By mid-sip, the sweetness is fully developed and I start to pick up on a hint of smoke which transcends into a charcoal note. The aforementioned browned butter notes weave their way in and out of the sip. The finish is almost “fruit-like,” tasting a bit like a roasted, caramelized peach.
The second cup seemed a little more unified. The flavors were seamless. It was a very smooth transition from notes of honey to toasted nutty flavors and hints of smoke. The smoke was a little more subtle this time, and the notes of charcoal were stronger, even though they seemed “fused” with the other flavors. Still sweet, still a fruit-like finish. Delicious.
The third cup was very much like the second. The browned butter notes have diminished by this point but they seem to have made way for more definition of the peach-like flavor. I experience a slightly dry sensation toward the finish, almost mineral-y. Still a sweet, lovely Oolong.
I brewed this Dong Ding the way I’d brew most Oolong teas, using my gaiwan and following a 15 second rinse, I started the infusion time at 45 seconds and added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion. I combine 2 infusions for each cup, so my first cup was made up of infusions 1 and 2, and the second cup was infusions 3 and 4 … you get it, right?
Fong Mong offers quite a few amazing Taiwan Oolong teas that are well worth checking into! I highly recommend them!
Muzha Tikuanyin Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This Premium Muzha Tikuanyin tea is competition grade. The tea is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Tikuanyin varietal. The production method of Taiwan TKY is complicated as the tea leaves must be repeatedly rolled and cloth twisted and then charcoal roasted for several days. The aroma and taste is this tea is fruity and sweet with this attractive and lovely Tikuanyin fragrance. It is rich and complex, and stands up very well to multiple infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My first cup (the first two infusions after a quick rinse) of this Muzha Tikuanyin Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea was lighter than the subsequent cups, but it was still very flavorful. I could taste the charcoal roast, nutty notes, and a sweet, fruity tone come through.
But the second cup (infusions 3 & 4) is where the taste really came alive with this tea. It is so delicious and roasty-toasty. The nutty flavors and the fruity notes are coming through stronger now. There is a creamy, buttery taste to this, but instead of a typical cream/milk/butter type of taste, this is more reminiscent of browned butter. Sweet and toasty! The creamy notes accentuate the nutty tones, and the fruit flavors evoke thoughts of sweet stone fruit. This cup started out really smooth, and as I neared the end of the cup, I started to notice a mineral-y sort of taste and texture toward the finish.
With my third cup (infusions 5 & 6), I noticed more of the mineral notes begin to emerge, although I wouldn’t say that this was an overly “mineral-y” cup at all. It was deliciously sweet with notes of fruit and nut. It was less creamy than the second cup, though, and I noticed more astringency with this cup. The flavor was still deliciously toasted.
I was hesitant to actually publish this review since this tea is currently sold out on the T-Oolong Tea website, however, I decided to still offer the review in case my readers might be interested in watching T-Oolong Tea for when this tea might be back in stock … it’s definitely worth checking for because this is a really delightful tea!
Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong from T-oolongtea
Tea Type:
Oolong Tea
Where to Buy:
T-Oolongtea
Product Description:
Season: 2012 Spring (roasted in 2012 May)
Altitude: approximately 1100 meter above sea level
Varietal: Qingxin Oolong (Green Heart)
Origin: Jia Yi County (Ali mountain area), Taiwan
Semioxidized
Charcoal Fire Medium Roast
Packing Method: Vacuum packaging
Note: actual packaging may be different from the photos
Note: tea canister not available for size 75 g / 2.63 oz and samples
Oolong tea is also known as Wulong tea, Black Dragon tea and Oolong slimming tea.
Alishan Oolong is also known as Arishan Oolong, Ari Mountain Oolong and Ali Mountain Oolong.
The picture of the brewed tea below is for reference only, NOT actual photo. The real brewed tea has a similar color depending on steeping time.More Details
This quality Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Alishan oolong. Use only the charcoal made of either Taiwan Longan wood or Taiwan Acacia wood to roast the tea (NOT by electric roasters), and follow old traditional method. This tea has a strong charcoal aroma and taste mixing with flavors of Alishan oolong. The aftertaste is enjoyable and long lasting. It tastes very smooth, sweet, rich and complex, and stands up very well to multiple infusions.
Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong tea is grown in the Alishan mountain range located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. Alishan is a popular attraction among domestic as well as international tourists, and it has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also world famous for its production of quality high mountain oolong tea.
The stylish tea canister we select for our quality Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong has a copper wall and a characteristic picture of Alishan oolong printed on it along with Alishan Oolong Tea in Chinese. The reserve quality of the canister offers exceptional function for tea storage to protect your tea from damage caused by light, air and moisture.
The process of producing this Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong is complex and time-consuming. The tea masters follow old traditional method, and use only the charcoal made of either Longan wood or Taiwan Acacia wood to roast the tea (NOT by electric roasters) to make sure the charcoal aroma and taste of the tea is rich, complex and enjoyable.
Alishan tea region is located in Jia Yi County (Ali mountain area) in Taiwan central mountain range.
Your satisfactions are our priorities. To ensure that you have a great shopping experience with us, we include a three gram free sample for the purchase of this tea, excluding sample sizes and 75 g / 2.63 oz. If you are not satisfied for any reason, simply return the tea (unopened original packaging) within 20 days of delivery for a full refund of the purchase price. For more details, please see Help: Return Policy.
The competition brewing style uses three grams of oolong tea leaves (the size of our free sampler) in 120 ml of boiling water for 5 minutes. Although not optimal, the method is widely used by professionals for objective evaluation of an oolong tea. If you look for a tasting set, our quality 120 cc oolong tea tasting set is as low as $5.99 available at the category of Teaware.
Tasters Review:
This is Alishan – a Medium Charcoal – that sums it up!
The Alishan is lovely and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to still taste it the way I was hoping…but I can and I’m VERY pleased!
The Charcoal flavor is pretty good as well! At first I thought it was a bit stronger than what I would consider Medium-Roasted but after a few sips I totally agree!
Right in the middle of the sip I can taste a welcoming creaminess ‘sandwiched’ in between the roasted and charcoal tastes at the beginning and end of the sip.
This is a nifty Charcoal/Alishan! Then again…it’s from T-oolongtea and I’ve enjoyed just about everything I’ve tried from them! Very good quality Oolongs!
Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This quality Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Alishan oolong. Use only the charcoal made of either Taiwan Longan wood or Taiwan Acacia wood to roast the tea (NOT by electric roasters), and follow old traditional method. This tea has a strong charcoal aroma and taste mixing with flavors of Alishan oolong. The aftertaste is enjoyable and long lasting. It tastes very smooth, sweet, rich and complex, and stands up very well to multiple infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s probably no surprise to people out there that I’ve accumulated a vast quantity of tea. I’m pretty much surrounded by tea, and that’s just the way I like it. But even with all this tea around me, I still get really excited when it comes time to try an Alishan Oolong – which is my favorite type of Oolong tea. And when it is an Alishan Oolong from T-Oolong Tea, the excitement multiplies, because I’ve come to appreciate the level of quality that T-Oolong Tea offers. Their teas are always top-notch, and this Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast is no exception! This is outstanding!
It’s the charcoal roasting that makes the difference here, creating an Alishan experience for me that is quite different from others I’ve had. I still taste some of what I recognize as Alishan – the smooth, sweet, floral-y notes, but these notes seem to fill the background while the notes of charcoal and toasty, wood-roasted flavor take the foreground.
The crisp, floral sweetness of the Alishan peeks through the more rugged taste of the charcoal notes, and I notice a bit more of a mineral-y kind of taste and texture, a bit more earthiness, and even notes of sweet, toasted nuts. The charcoal firing has added such a lovely dimension of flavor, creating a taste that is quite different from other Alishan teas that I’ve tasted … not better or worse, really, just different, and I am really enjoying the differences.
Deliciously different!