I’m not really a watermelon fan, you guys.
I know. Have I even earned the right to review this tea?! Stick with me, and I’ll clarify– I like the FLAVOR of watermelon. Fresh, juicy, summery– it’s delightful. But something about the texture of watermelon gets me– it’s kinda mealy, super watery (duh), and while I love its natural flavor, it’s often super light and diluted, and I just wish it wasn’t quite so… subdued.
This tea from Gypsy Soul takes all the things I dislike about watermelon, eradicates them in one fell swoop, highlights my fave (that tangy, fruity flavor!) and KNOCKS IT OUTTA THE PARK. For serious. I cold brewed this one overnight to be put on ice (because it’s just begging to be sipped cold), and I think I could’ve drank about a gallon rather than my measly 16 ounces– that’s how good it was. The flavor is spot-on, fresh and juicy, fruity melon– maybe a touch of candy-esque tang, but nothing near as artificial. Not a hint of mealy-ness in sight. I’m a happy camper.
No more feeling a little left out at summer BBQs– I’ll have this blend on ice with me instead!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Gypsy Soul Tea Co
Description
Sweet, juicy, thirst quenching watermelon flavor on high grade oolong tea. Great hot & cold!
Oolong tea is full of healthy antioxidants and is commonly used to support good health
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Himalayan Musky Thunder from Terroir Tea Merchant. . . . .
Not long ago I conducted an Oolong-a-Thon and did back-to-back tastings of all the oolong teas in my collection. Somehow I missed this Himalayan Musky Thunder from Terroir Tea Merchant. That’s because it didn’t look like an oolong at first glance. Apparently, Himalayan Musky Thunder is a “dark oolong,” meaning it is more heavily oxidized than its greener oolong cousins. Like other oolongs, I brewed this tea with cooler water (190 F) and steeped it a few times.
Upon brewing, the scent and taste of dark chocolate were very forward. When you taste a chocolate bar with a high cocoa percentage, there’s an almost-floral note to the earthy chocolate flavor, and that note comes through in this tea as well. There’s a rich muscatel, red grape flavor right after the chocolate tones, making this tea winner for any dark chocolate, red wine drinkers out there.
If the package didn’t inform me that this dark tea was actually an oolong and not a black tea, the mouthfeel would have given it away. There’s a silky smoothness to how this tea falls on your tongue that is reminiscent of milk oolong teas, without any of the mouth-puckering sharpness you find in black teas.
Upon further steeping, the sweet chocolate tones evolve into earthier notes, like a vegetable garden after a fresh rain. The tannin richness of red wine and unsweetened cocoa linger as an aftertaste.
All the tasting aside, I love the name for this tea, Himalayan Musky Thunder, and I think it is aptly chosen. This is one of the boldest oolongs I’ve tasted: deep and romantic like the smell of the air and earth after a thunderstorm. The next time you find yourself caught in the rain, wait out the storm with a cup of this tea and a bar of dark chocolate.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description:
With qualities of a black tea and no astringency, this strip style dark oolong is surprisingly light and full of flavour.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Green Style Dong Ding (oolong) by Fong Mong Tea
Steeping specs: 3 grams per half cup at 175° for five minutes
While steeping this tea, I didn’t observe much color change. The leaves unfurled quite a bit, having started out as small pills or pearls, but the tea liquid didn’t seem to change color all that much. However, after I removed the tea leaves, I could see that there was a gentle peach color to the liquid. It’s very light and transparent, not dark or strong-looking at all. What is remarkable, though, is the lovely roasted smell (disproportionately strong given how light the color is) and the high-quality leaves; after the leaves unfurled I could tell that they were highly intact and well preserved. And I could smell the wonderful roasted oolong fragrance long before tasting the tea itself.
At the first sip I’m detecting plenty of roast, plenty of nose, and a flavor that’s almost heading towards bitter but just barely managing to avoid it. Of course, I did steep the leaves about five degrees hotter than recommended, because my variable temperature kettle only has so many increments, so that could have something to do with it.
This turned out to be a tasty, toasty oolong with a very enjoyable balance between buttery and nutty flavors and a somewhat astringent feel. The liquid is not viscous or dark but still has plenty of flavor. This tea is also great with just a touch of sugar, which tames down the astringent effect a bit and brings out the floral aspect that was a bit buried under the roasted flavor before the sugar was added.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong 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.
Dong Ding is well known of producing fine tea-Dong Ding Oolong Tea. Traditional baking technique by artisans and proper fermentation and baking procedure create an unforgettable extremely perfect flavor. Firstly tasted mellow with strong fragrance and then a sweet aftertaste quickly rising from the throat makes it famous for decades to all over the world. Drinking Dong Ding Oolong Tea is definitely an enjoyable lifestyle and also the exclusive choice for all tea lovers
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Alishan JinXuan Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea. . . . .
Descriptions for tea plantations are like works of art, describing misty cloud-covered mountains where finicky plants flourish. The words evoke vintage Chinese brush paintings where ascending mountains disappear into mist shrouds.
This tea has a delicate flavor, a little bit vegetal, a little bit flowery, a little bit creamy. Soft and gentle. If you want a kick-you-in-the-face morning brew, this isn’t it. But if you want a gentle sunny-day accompaniment (now THERE’s a hard word to spell) this could be your new go-to.
Why might that be? Let’s read:
“Jin-Xuan is a special variety of Camellia Sinesis (tea plant) developed through research at Taiwan Tea Agricultural Research Center. This special variety is known for producing an Oolong with a special fragrance and a very light creaminess.”
I love the idea of scientists in lab coats fiddling around with tea. I know they fiddle around with, for example, Doritos, but the idea of them getting all science-y about that perfect sip is a delight. We, as humans, are going to conquer nature, dammit. Including tea.
You did a lovely job with this, Taiwanese tea nerds. “Lovely” is, I think, the most accurate term for this tea. It is a pleasant little delight, and I am keeping this sample.
I don’t keep all samples. I typically pass them along to friends or my Sisters.
But not this one. It’s mine until sipdown. All mine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong 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. Jin-Xuan is a special variety of Camellia Sinesis (tea plant) developed through research at Taiwan Tea Agricultural Research Center. This special variety is known for producing an Oolong with a special fragrance and a very light creaminess. Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong brings one of the great locations for growing Oolong tea together with one of the special Oolong varieties.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Oolong from Zen Tea. . . .
This is my second time swapping with the same person. Its funny because we have very similar tastes and I’ve quite enjoyed almost every tea I have been sent. This time around I admittedly asked for a few that I had previously tried because they were just so good. But, this Coconut Oolong is a new one. I have loved coconut my whole life. I actually have pretty cool memories of drilling into whole coconuts in the garage with my stepdad so I could drink the water and eat the flesh. I also had an obsession with pina coladas (virgin) as a kid…and you know what, even as an adult i’ll enjoy one poolside on vacation. Anyways, I have tried my fair share of coconut teas. I’ve now tried two coconut teas that contained oolong as a base and I definitely liked both of them.
As for Coconut Oolong by Zen, it smelled like suntan lotion. That may sound bad but its not! I just mean that the coconut smell was very strong and pleasant and summery. The taste of coconut was not as strong as the smell. It was rather light but still with a creamy undertone. Oolong is a cross between black tea and green tea. Depending on how it is made, sometimes it can taste more like black and other times it can taste closer to green…of course there are also times were it tastes like something all its own. In this instance it tastes closer to green tea in my opinion, with a slight floral undertone. I often prefer green to black especially when coconut is involved, so I like it a lot. My only negative opinion on this blend would be that I would have liked some coconut shreds or white chocolate or something else in the mix. There was only tea leaves and,I’m assuming, coconut flavoring. It would have been nice to see some thick shreds of coconut- even if just for aesthetics.
All and all I enjoyed this blend and it is my first try of the company Zen. I am curious to see what else they have and would suggest that you check them out!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Zen Tea
Description
A lightly floral and smooth Baozhong Oolong from Taiwan is perfectly blended with creamy coconut to make our Coconut Oolong. The cakery coconut flavour is amazing, and tea is a very smooth, rich, almost milky tea with a natural sweetness and subtle floral notes. If you love coconut milk sweets and sophisticated oolongs, this is tea for you.
Ingredients : Oolong tea, coconut flavor
Preparation(1 cup): 1 teaspoon, 90C(194F) water, 3 minutes
Tea origin : Taiwan, Baozhong(Pouchong. Lightly oxidized, green oolong. Rich, naturally sweet fragrance of honey, flowers, and coconut)
For the best infusions, we recommend you try brewing this tea in a Porcelain teapot or Guywan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
