This tea tastes like eating a bouquet of nectar-y flowers. I have not, for the record, done this, but it’s how I imagine the experience might be, if you were so inclined. It’s light, lively, vegetal, and easy.
(Original Artwork from Super Starling inspired by this tea)
I feel like being a bee would be wonderful. A life spent in the sunshine, with a clear, tasty plan — find flowers; collect yummy pollen. Have a fluffy face. Hang out in Taiwan (whence this tea originates) with your friends in a hive. Hexagons are very hot in interior decoration right now.
Since I am not a bee (uuuuuuugh), I’ll have to savor this flavor instead.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Description
We are pleased to expand our offering of Taiwanese high mountain (Gao shan) oolongs. This tea is from the middle of the Nantou District, between Li Shan to the north and Ali San in the South. It is a lovely lightly oxidized oolong.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ginseng Oolong / Enjoying Tea
Ginseng oolong, powdered ginseng compressed and then rolled with semi-oxidized tea leaves.
A steeping time of at least five minutes is usually advisable in order to obtain maximum flavor. This unique tea can be enjoyed at anytime of the day and anywhere. I’m currently sipping it outside as it’s finally nice here in Minnesota.
It’s lukewarm and perfect for enjoying under the sun. Along with all the supposed health benefits it also boasts a sweet flavor and an enjoyable ginseng aroma.
The best part though is the lingering aftertaste that fills your mouth with sweet ginseng for many moments.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Enjoying Tea
Description
Superior oolong tea are mixed with ginseng roots to produce a delicious tea that nourishes your body and replenishes your energy. This tea has a rich crisp oolong taste with a strong pleasing ginseng aftertaste.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Milky Oolong from Harney & Sons. . . .
When I drank this for the first time last week, my first thought was “TEA BAE!” Which is so millennial of me, I know. I promise I’m not even cool enough to quite know how to use “bae” (“before anyone else”) in everyday use. But it applies to this tea.
This is a silky, rich, creamy oolong. It comes in super-cute little balls that totally snap to attention in hot water. Sometimes the balls don’t unfurl, but these are actively watch-able. The flavor is a great halfway point between green and black. The “milky” taste is really creamy, like the whipped topping on a good lemon meringue* pie.
*I was pretty sure it wasn’t spelled “mirang,” so I had to request Google’s gentle corrective guidance.
This tastes like it was flavored. That’s how sweet it is. I don’t want to be too effusive, because I try to emit a cool air of sophisticated irony (hah!) — but I really like this.
The reviewers on the Harney site like it, too. So much. Peep this review from Helen W: “Absolutely love it! Absolutely love it!” That’s the entire view. Helen. Gurl. I hear you. When I re-order this (AND I WILL), I’m going to acquire a vat. I’m going to swim in this vat like Scrooge McDuck. It will not be sanitary. People will slowly stop visiting my house. I will acquire leper status. Eventually someone will come by my house to film “Hoarding: Buried Alive: Tea Special” and I will acquire a brief Internet fame. Perhaps I will become a meme. But then I will be forgotten to the sands of time. The pan will no longer have a flash. I shall disappear into the back of your mind, just me, and my tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Description
For some time we’ve had requests for a milky oolong and finally we have found one that we liked so that we could share it with you. Milky oolongs are very popular in Eastern Asia for their sweet, creamy flavors. This one is smooth and the aroma of warmed cream is delicious!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
On Wisconsin from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
There’s a classic scene in Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise’s love interest says “You had me at hello.”
Well, this tea had me at “cow sprinkles.”
My coworker is besotted with it! She had some with almond milk and thinks it’s the bee’s knees. She has made off with my sample. She describes it as “delightful.”
On the other hand, I’m not sure this hit the mark for me. I think this might have been better as a black tea rather than an oolong. The vegetal notes in the oolong are kind of distracting with regards to the “sweet” concept. I tried it both with and without almond milk and couldn’t love it while it was in my mouth.
The aftertaste of this tea is lovely, though. It’s a sweet-splosion.
So while it might not have been for me, through-and-through, it was still a novel flavor, and a molasses-infused treat for the morning.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A sweet and creamy jade oolong with sweet honey and cheesecake flavors and cow sprinkles straight from the dairy state.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Xi Ding Oolong Tea – Tea from Taiwan. . . . .
Hello, readers! I am here to bring you another oolong tea but from a company that really knows their stuff. According to the website, they have been in business for a good twelve years so to me that is impressive. Now what got me to try out this tea out of all the others on my tea shelf is that I felt that I have never given pure oolong tea a chance. I know that my sister drinks almost five cups of it a day so in lieu of the other oolong blends that I have tried I figured why not give a pure cup a chance?
As the site details, this oolong has a very distinct taste. It is very pungent when you first open the bag but don’t let that deter you for it mellows out when it is brewed. This brew does have a mellow, subtle start but it finishes with a sweet aftertaste. A sweet that I cannot put my finger on. I would say that this tea for me personally would be a builder tea, the best ingredient that I can think of off the top of my head would have to be a mint of some sort. I think that spearmint would be the best, for its sweetness would be a perfect compliment to the oolong.
Now for prices, I can’t be exact since all their oolong blends are named by their time of harvest. The best estimate I have for you is to base it off the Li Shan Feng Oolong tea which the top three prices are as follows; $36.99 for 75 grams, 150 grams for $69.99, and 300 grams for $134.99. But don’t fret for it looks like their samples retail for around $4.59 which is good for about 2-3 cups.
In conclusion, I think this is a great tea and tea company to try out if you are out for an authentic oolong tea. It is a pretty penny but for the authentic oolong consumer, I think this brand should be at least worth a shot.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
