Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea Avenue
Tea Description:
Known for it’s calming qualities, Magnolia is a sumptuous, exotic tea, light and pure-tasting, Magnolia is a highly refined tea with an appealing sweet flavor and warm floral notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh. My. Goodness! I have often said that jasmine is my favorite flower with which to ‘scent’ a tea – but when it comes to Oolong teas, I think that magnolia is my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jasmine Oolong – just as I adored the Jasmine Oolong tea from Tea Ave., but this … this Magnolia Oolong Tea from Tea Ave. is absolutely superb!
The base tea is my favorite type of Oolong – Ali Shan! – and that’s been scented with magnolia blossoms. The essence of magnolia is absorbed into the leaves during a baking process which imparts a lovely note of the flower without becoming too perfume-y.
The tea has a sweet flavor that is buttery, like browned butter. I can taste a hint of caramel in the buttery notes. It isn’t overly vegetal, although I do get hints of vegetation. The floral notes are soft and sweet – no sharpness! Sweet, nutty notes. So smooth. No astringency. A sweet, delectable cup.
And of course, this is an Oolong – and that means multiple infusions! With a tea that tastes this good, I find myself thrilled that I’m going to be tasting more!
My second cup (infusions 3 and 4) was a little stronger in flavor than the first. I found the magnolia notes to be a little more focused. Focused – but still not what I’d call sharp. Still beautifully soft and sweet. This cup is a little less creamy, but I still get some of those delicious browned butter notes. I taste a little more vegetative flavor but it’s still not a strong flavor. The nutty flavors are more distinct now and remind me of hazelnut – like freshly toasted hazelnuts! Mmm!
The third cup (infusions 5 and 6) was still fantastically flavorful. I am still getting the same flavors that I tasted in the first and second cups: sweet, hazelnut, brown butter, I’m even tasting distinct hints of butterscotch! Floral but not sharp, whispers of vegetation. Truly, a delightful cup of tea.
Tea Ave. celebrates it’s GRAND OPENING today – it’d definitely be worth your while to go and peruse their teas! I highly recommend putting this one in your cart while you’re there. This is a tea that I’d recommend to all tea lovers – even those that are usually not fond of floral essence in their tea. The way the floral notes mingle with the sweet, creamy butter notes and nutty tones is so delightful! You really MUST try this one!
Magnolia Blossom Oolong Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This Guangdong specialty is a lovely oolong tea, scented with magnolia flowers. Alternately known as Orchid Oolong or in Chinese Yu Lan, this selection is a must try for those who appreciate a fine scented tea. The flavor nuances are unique, but hints of jasmine lend a recognizable character.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a magnolia scented Oolong tea, so I was happy to find this Magnolia Blossom Oolong Tea from Upton Tea Imports in my tea stash! And it’s a really good magnolia Oolong with it’s delicately soft, sweet floral notes and hints of a fruit-like quality in the background. It’s delightfully complex.
My first cup (the first and second infusions combined following a 15 second “awakening” of the leaves) of this tea was very flavorful … much more flavorful than a typical “first cup” of Oolong tea, which generally are very subtle. There is a lot of flavor in this cup. The first thing I notice is the sweetness, it’s like nectar. As the sip progresses, the floral notes develop. In the background, I notice distant notes of fruit: something between a sweet apple and melon.
The second cup (infusions 3 & 4) is where I start to notice a creamy character come through. It’s soft and buttery and almost decadent. It has a very luxurious taste and texture. The floral notes are still present. The floral tones are a slightly sharper now. It’s not so much a nectar-y sweetness now as it is a floral and buttery/creamy sweetness. I still taste the notes of apple and melon in the distance, but another fruit note also seems to be emerging – grapefruit? Not the tartness of the citrus, but the sweeter grapefruit notes is what I’m tasting here.
The third cup (infusions 5 & 6) maintains its floral qualities. The citrus notes are more pronounced now. This note is most noticeable toward the finish. I notice a slight astringency now, this cup is not quite as soft and creamy as the first two cups were, but it is still very flavorful and wonderful to enjoy!
Overall, a very enjoyable magnolia Oolong, and a truly lovely way to spend an afternoon. It evokes thoughts of an early, warm summer afternoon which is kind of nice since it’s been so cold! Yes, I do love the cooler weather, but, it’s also nice to have memories of the warmth. Actually, I think I prefer the memories in a teacup of the warm days of summer versus the actual summer day!
Magnolia Oolong from TeaScapes
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: TeaScapes
Product Description:
This tea brews to a pale color and the sweetly fragrant magnolia blossoms produce a rich scent. The leaves are large and delicately hand-rolled. This tea aids in digestion and has an elegant floral flavor.
Taster’s Review:
Exquisite!
The magnolia essence here is very strong. The first two infusions deliver a powerful magnolia taste, but it never comes across as perfume-y. Just pleasantly sweet and floral.
In those first two infusions, I noticed a creamy, buttery taste and a hint of vegetative flavor too. I found that with the first two infusions especially, that these different flavors were presented as very distinct, individual notes. With the subsequent infusions, the flavors began to meld together and become seamless and very smooth. My later infusions (I steeped the tea six times) were by far superior to the first two, and I really liked the first two!
The aroma is equally as captivating as the flavor, smelling of fresh spring breezes when magnolia trees are in bloom. I have never been to the south where magnolia trees are abundant, but, my gramma’s neighbor had a couple of magnolia trees in her back yard, and I remember the aroma that permeated the air as the trees bloomed – so beautiful! And these tea leaves have captured that fragrance well.
If you’ve not tried a Magnolia Oolong, I highly recommend it. If you love jasmine tea, I think you will become quite fond of Magnolia Oolong teas as well!
The Mermaid’s Kiss from Damn Fine Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Andrews & Dunham
Product Description:
The Mermaid’s Kiss is a scented Oolong tea from China. Abandon yourself to its charms and steep for 5 minutes in 180 degree water. Drop anchor and stay for a few more cups.
Taster’s Review:
I kissed a girl and I liked it … err, that is, if you’re to take the name of this tea literally, that it is, indeed a mermaid’s kiss.
I have, over the past year or so, fallen head over heels in love with Magnolia scented Oolong teas. Just as jasmine seems a perfect fit with green and white teas, magnolia seems a perfect fit with Oolong. The natural creamy taste and texture of this greener Oolong plays so nicely with the sweet floral notes of the magnolia.
The Oolong is sweet and vegetative, but I wouldn’t describe it as a strong vegetative presence. It is a mild vegetative flavor that is a cross between freshly cut grass and steamed vegetables. It tastes very fresh and vibrant. The freshness of that grassy taste combined with the sweet flowery taste of magnolia give this tea a very spring-like sensation.
The magnolia itself is a lighter tasting flower when compared to jasmine, but I think that softness is what really makes it a perfect match for Oolong teas. Oolong is a very complex leaf, and the subtle approach of the magnolia enhances the nuances of the Oolong without overwhelming them.
A fantastic tea … and a most memorable kiss!
Ooooh Oolong from Urban Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Urban Tea (company is no longer in business)
Product Description:
After picking, the leaves of this Chinese Oolong tea are lightly scented with fresh magnolia blossoms then delicately hand rolled to produce this aromatic Ooooh Oolong. The leaves of this oolong slowly unfurl in hot water to produce a pale yellow infusion with a soft floral aroma. Oolong teas have long been prized for their many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, aiding digestion and promoting weight loss. Did we mention it tastes great too? Ideally served with or after a meal.
Taster’s Review:
It saddens me to write this review because Urban Tea has closed. I was lucky enough to receive this from them before they closed their doors, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to try some of their amazing teas.
I am really fond of magnolia scented Oolong teas. The flavor that the magnolia blossom imparts on the Oolong tea is fantastic. Sweet and floral, but the flowery taste is not bitter or sharp. There is a crispness to the finish. The transition from sweet to crisp is really smooth.
The Oolong base is somewhat buttery. There are some vegetal notes to the cup, and the way the magnolia notes meld with the vegetative flavors is really quite nice. A beautifully complex, delicious cup of tea.
Thank you, Urban Tea! You will be missed!