Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Eco-Cha
Tea Description:
This batch of tea was made by an artisan who won first prize in this year’s Nantou County Jin Xuan Oolong Tea Competition of 2,400 entries, and Nantou is home to the best oolong tea makers in the world. The tea he produces is, in a word, exemplary.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
In my “career” as a tea reviewer, I’ve tasted quite a few “milk Oolong” teas. But this Jin Xuan Oolong Tea from Eco Cha has to be one of the finest I’ve tried yet.
What leads me to that declaration is this very first cup that I’ve brewed. Typically the first cup of a Milk Oolong (infusions 1 and 2) is a soft and creamy cup, but, it isn’t quite as thick or lush as the subsequent infusions. It tends to be lighter in texture and more delicate in flavor than the subsequent infusions – and granted, I haven’t yet gotten to my second cup of this tea yet so I don’t know how different that cup will be from this one.
However, this cup is very flavorful! More flavorful than a typical Milk Oolong. This first cup tastes like it would be the second cup of another Milk Oolong. This is an outstanding Jin Xuan!
The second cup was just a little bit creamier and richer than the first, but the two cups were very similar, perhaps more similar than is typically my experience with a Milk Oolong. Usually, the first cup is much lighter, and the second cup is quite creamy, but with this tea from Eco Cha, I am noticing more of that milky consistency in both cups (the first four infusions).
With the third cup (infusions 5 and 6), the flavors began to taper. I noticed a little more astringency with this cup, and it wasn’t quite as creamy as the first two cups. With this cup, I notice more definition of the fruit notes, and I can taste a hint of citrus. Still a very flavorful cup, the honeyed notes seemed to emerge more with this cup and I liked the way these honey-like tones complemented the bright citrus notes.
An excellent Jin Xuan Oolong Tea. Definitely one of the finest Milk Oolong teas I’ve tasted.
Osmanthus Oolong Tea from Driftwood Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Driftwood Tea
Tea Description:
Osmanthus Oolong combines high quality Jin Xuan variety loose leaf tea with fresh osmanthus flowers to produce a most spectacular tea. Handmade and scented using only natural methods this is an example of an aromatic tea that tastes as good as it smells.
Learn more about this Oolong tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried a few Osmanthus Oolong teas … but I think that this one from Driftwood Tea might just be the best one I’ve tried thus far! It is sweet, creamy and absolutely DREAMY!
The dry leaf is very aromatic, and just opening the pouch fills the nostrils with a delightful fragrance that is part fresh cream, part flower, and part sweet fruit! Once brewed, the tea smells sweet, with floral notes and a scent that reminds me vaguely of a milky Oolong. The fruity aroma is less apparent in the brewed tea than it is with the dry leaf.
The flavor … oh the flavor is amazing. Ahh-MAZ-ing! It is sweet but not cloying. No bitterness whatsoever. Smooth and supple mouthfeel, with a slight astringency toward the finish. The aftertaste, I taste a floral note, but during the sip, I taste mostly fruit and cream, with mere hints of flower. It’s very much like peaches and cream, and yes, I find myself in agreement with my sister Azzrian, there is a similarity to White Rabbit candies. Imagine those candies with a sweet peach … you would have what I’m tasting here.
But what I love is that even though this tea tastes of candy and sweet, luscious fruit, it doesn’t get sickly sweet on the palate. The faint astringent note at the tail cleanses the palate … so the aftertaste doesn’t taste overly sweet, and my mouth feels ready for another sip!
This tea is pure enjoyment … something that I could easily drink on a regular basis … YES please! An absolute pleasure to sip! And be sure to take this one through its infusions … I got six very flavorful infusions from one measurement of leaves.
Osmanthus Oolong Tea from Driftwood Tea
Tea Type:
Oolong
Where To Buy:
Driftwood Tea
Product Description:
Osmanthus Oolong combines high quality Jin Xuan variety loose leaf tea with fresh osmanthus flowers to produce a most spectacular tea. Handmade and scented using only natural methods this is an example of an aromatic tea that tastes as good as it smells.
Key Flavours: Bright soft stone fruits. Juicy peaches and ripe apricots with delicate touches of natural creaminess.
Tasters Review:
The aroma prior to infusing reminds me of a combo of candy and flowers. Strange but true! After infusing it smells like a ‘chewy’ or more savory-type combo of flowers, if that makes sense.
It ‘brews’ up to a lovely lemon-lime type color.
This oolong is neat! I can taste a savory-creamy-flavor with a little hint of grapefruit, almost. On the end sip I can pick up a dried apricot flavor, too, which I LOVE. This is incredible! It’s very unique and darn tasty!
Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
The hand-plucked leaves of Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong Tea are grown in the famous Ali Mountains (Alishan) in Taiwan. At the elevation of 1000 meters above, the mountainsides are covered with fog or clouds which are ideal for growing Oolong. With better drought tolerance, also higher yield, the price is usually lower than Alishan Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said it before. I’ll probably say it again and again… I’m sorry if you get tired of hearing it, but, what can I say? I love Oolong tea grown in the Ali Mountains… the mountains that produce my beloved Alishan Oolong!
Jin Xuan is probably better known as “Milk Oolong” which makes this particular Oolong even more special. It’s not just an Alishan Oolong, but an Alishan Milk Oolong! Awesomeness!
And this cup of tea is indeed awesome. The milkiness of this tea is not overly pronounced, it is delicate and creamy. Very smooth. I like the texture which is slightly creamy but there is a subtlety to it too. It doesn’t attempt to inundate the palate with a heavy taste of cream.
Hints of flower throughout the sip … is that orchid? It too is subtle, softly weaving its way in and out of the sip, and just when you think you can identify it, it disappears … and reappears just when you’ve begun to explore the other nuances of the tea.
Subsequent infusions deliver a stronger flavor. I find that with the first cup (which is the combined results of the first and second infusions) the flavor was delicate, while the second cup (combined results of the third and fourth infusions) is stronger, with a more distinguished floral tone. This tastes of honeysuckle, but an orchid note begins to develop toward the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. It is still sweet and delicious, but I’ve noticed that it is a little less creamy than the first cup.
The third cup brings a taste that is much more harmonized … the flavors are becoming seamlessly united, and it has become difficult to determine where one flavor ends and another begins. This cup is my favorite, because I love how it all comes together to create a very soothing, delightful cup.
An amazing cup of tea – I’d recommend it to fans of Alishan and Milk Oolongs! This brings the best of both worlds together in one deliciously rewarding cup.
Organic Milk Oolong (Jin Xuan) from The Rabbit Hole
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Rabbit Hole
Tea Description:
Some say oolong tea aids weight loss. We just say it tastes great with a smooth, creamy and sweet finish. Great for satisfying a craving for something naughty.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve enjoyed most of the Milk Oolong teas that I’ve tried, but not all are created equal. Some tend to be too creamy and sweet to the point of being cloying, and tasting somewhat artificial.
This Milk Oolong from The Rabbit Hole, however, does not. This is a very good Milk Oolong. Yes, it’s sweet, and it’s creamy, but it doesn’t overwhelm the palate. There is a lightness to it that makes the creaminess taste natural and not contrived. It is incredibly smooth and sweet without tasting too sweet.
The aroma of the dry leaf is vegetal, reminding me of the smell of a fresh produce stand in the summer. That smell of leafy greens and ripe vegetables. It is fresh and lively.
That vegetal tone is in the flavor too, although it isn’t overly vegetative or grassy. These flavors meld with the creamy milk tones to provide a slight “creamed vegetable” kind of flavor with just a hint of butter in the mix.
A lovely Oolong from one of our favorite companies here at SororiTea Sisters: The Rabbit Hole!