Sometimes I just have an oolong sort of day. When I first started drinking teas, oolongs were definitely not high up on my favorites list and still today I prefer other types of tea more often than not. Yet somedays nothing quite satisfies like an oolong and sometimes if I am shopping for teas and having one of those days, I tend to buy all the oolongs. This tea, What Cha’s Thailand ‘Red Tiger’ Oolong, is one that I bought the last time I stocked up on oolong teas.
What Cha claims this tea has a smooth sweet taste with notes of honey and baked cherry. With that in mind, I was pretty surprised when I started drinking this tea and it tasted more like a brisk black tea than an oolong. Maybe not brisk per se but definitely metallic. It is sweet but I am not picking up the cherry notes promised. Perhaps there is a roastiness that combines with a bit of honey. Also, to me, it has a bit of a wet leaf flavor. Not the oolong I was hoping for when I pulled this out of my stash.
Personally, I don’t love this one. I think part of the reason why is when I went on my oolong shopping spree, I was inspired by a tasty milk oolong I recently had. This lacks the flavor qualities that I loved in that and so it falls a bit short of what I hoped for. However, I know many others who have had this tea and loved it so though it is not for everyone, it is by no means a bad oolong and one worth trying.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: What Cha
Description
Another brilliant red oolong from south-east asia with a smooth sweet honey taste coupled with baked cherry notes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
My Green Teapot – Orange Green Oolong
My Green Teapot…what a wonderful name for a tea company. I have had a few of their flavored Oolongs before and I have to say I AM A FAN! I think they have some of the BEST single flavor FLAVORED OOLONGS I have had.
This time around I sampled the Orange Green Oolong from My Green Teapot. It was truly delightful.
The aroma what what you would expect from an orange flavored ‘anything’ let alone an orange flavored oolong. Citrusy and sweet. The taste was a mirror of the aroma…sweet, juicy, YUMMY, citrus! Straight-up! Nothing added to throw the pure citrus goodness for a loop!
The Oolong itself was mouthwatering and pure. A perfect pairing!
With naturally lower levels of caffeine I was able to sip on this at any given time, too! I can’t wait to try more of their flavored Oolongs! They are a REAL TREAT!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: My Green Teapot
Description
Our Orange Green Oolong Teas are all natural whole leaf teas from Taiwan infused with orange.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Da Hong Pao Oolong Premium Oolong/Little Red Cup Tea Co. . . .
I seem to be in a funk lately. I need to snap out of it. If I continue to drink tasty teas like this one – it just might help! The tea I’m sipping on today is Little Red Cup Tea Co’s Da Hong Pao Premium Oolong.
This tea brews to a deep mahogany red. I can pick up notes of cinnamon-plum, and gently roasted caramel. It’s robust but not overly robust and this tea has no bitter notes! It offers the perfect balance of smooth, deep, rich, and natural flavor.
I do LOVE the aroma before, during, and after infusing, too! There is a spec of cocao nib nose on it that was a pleasant surprise! It’s delish on the tongue and taste-buds, to boot!
This is one of the better oolongs I have tried in the past year! Hands Down! I would suggest it to just about anyone!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Little Red Cup
Description
Our Da Hong Pao (大红袍) is a marvelous mountain-grown rock tea from Enshi Prefecture in southwestern Hubei Province. Almost fully oxidized, it brews a deep mahogany red — with notes of cinnamon, plums, and caramel. Robust yet easy to brew, this tea has no bitter notes — only smooth, deep, rich, flavor.
This is a tea to be enjoyed on a regular basis, but also one to bring out for special occasions. It has taken us nearly ten years since we began our search for a great Da Hong Pao that is both organic and Fair Trade to get to the point where we can add this special oolong to our offerings. It is at once familiar and yet a cut above ordinary oolongs, a tea we are certain you will love.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Oriental Beauty from Qi Aerista. . . .
Qi Aerista’s Oriental Beauty oolong is so dark I’d probably have thought it was a black tea if I hadn’t been told otherwise by its name.
This tea has a really unique honey-black flavor that comes from, interestingly, its odd chemical makeup. These tea leaves were attacked by a certain kind of bug; so the tea, as a defense, released a chemical to attract its predators. This chemical (or the interaction with the bugs, not sure which) tastes like there’s pollen ground into the rich woodsy earth of the tea. Because it’s a straight black, I’m fairly sure this doesn’t translate into calories. Yessss.
I like this tea a lot. It has a good taste and a cool story. I offer up a thumb pointed to the sky, friends.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Qi Aerista
Description
This tea is no longer offered on the site but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Maple Creme Oolong from Adagio Teas. . . .
One of my coworkers slipped me a baggie with 3 servings of this as I walked in this morning, so I obviously had no choice in the matter but to try it. It’s just me, the new Florence and the Machine album, and tea. Obviously the key ingredients for a great morning for this graphic designer.
The first thing I noticed about the tea was how strong it smelled. I could suss out that creamy maple through a Ziplock bag held at arm’s length. MAMA LIKEY.
Second, I noticed how ogle-worthy the tea looks. It has pieces in it (likely the apple) and red leaves (safflower) to give off that Canadian feel. Bless those Canadians and their charming accents and dreamy prime minster. What a great bunch of folks.
But what about the taste? Delicious, guys.
When it’s on the tongue, you get spices. It’s like a cider-chai. But then, when you swallow, ahhhhhhhh, syrup. Apples, spices, and maple for DAYS.
BOOM. Suddenly you’re Justin Trudeau’s best friend. He calls you with hot gossip. He invites you on hikes that are exactly at your exercise level. You’re going horseback riding with his mountie friends next week. Also: there’s a sale on flannel at your favorite store, and you will never be cold again.
Thanks, Canada!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!