I’ve not come across many Oolongs from Darjeeling in the years I’ve been drinking tea, but the ones I have tried have always been something special. This one is no exception.
It starts with the leaf, which in appearance reminds me a lot of a first flush darjeeling (although it’s actually a second) crossed with a very fresh white peony. The are a high predominance of downy silver buds, some verging more on silver or pale green, plus some brown-ish-copper leaves. The scent is sweet and lightly jasmine.
Initially, the taste is subtle and fairly mineral, in the way that some lighter or green oolongs can be. There’s a distinctive citrus flavour in the mid-sip – it reminds me most of grapefruit, with a slightly sharp/sour tang. There’s also some of the muscatel flavour you’d typically associate with a second flush darjeeling, and the pairing is an unusual and inspiring one. As it cools. a hint of dark chocolate starts to emerge, although it’s mostly confined to the very end of the sip and it doesn’t linger long. 
Despite the scent, I didn’t detect any floral flavours in the actual tea, which is a small relief because it’s already quite busy. In terms of mouthfeel, it’s lightly brisk but doesn’t cross over into astringency, despite being slightly drying on the palate.
I enjoyed this one. I’ve discovered that I like Oolongs from Darjeeling in general, and they often have some of the more unique flavour profiles. Mineral, grapefruit, and chocolate don’t sound like they should work together very well, but, somehow, they do. If you enjoy either Darjeeling or Oolong, this one is definitely worth a look.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Tea Shelf
Description
One of the finest oolongs of Darjeeling, the aroma of dark chocolate envelopes your senses, reminiscent of a cold wintry day! The leaves are springy with a moss like mosaic of silver and copper. The infusion shows another surprise with individual leaves clearly visible with bright colours of copper and mauve. The chocolate experience continues but now coupled with citrus and fruity notes. The steeped leaves give way to a gorgeous sunset yellow cup, which is very brisk on the palate with notes of jasmine and citrus, which linger on.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sparkle Pony Oolong Tea from 52Teas
Sparkle Pony Oolong Tea from 52 Teas is just FUN in every way! Not only is it FUN but it’s special and unique in every way, too! Let me see if I can explain some of my thoughts behind this tea!
First off…Sparkle Pony Oolong Tea from 52 Teas contains organic oolong tea, dried pluots, organic ginger root, organic crystallized ginger (sliced ginger and sugar), vegan edible glitter and organic natural flavors.
Dried Pluots!? Are you serious!? I LOVE Pluots! In case you are not familiar with the fruit…they are a hybrid fruit…a cross between an apricot and a plum. They smell and taste like BOTH a plum and an apricot at the same time! They are juicy, sweet, and have that recognizable stone-fruit taste.
The ginger and crystallized ginger flavored are very distinct in this tea. The crystallized flavor is more muted that I thought it would be but totally understand why as I think it being any more intense would just change the taste completely.
The edible vegan glitter was more for show and you had to look at it cross-eyed to even find it but I know how expensive that stuff is so I’m totally ok with there NOT being more. I mean, we are here for the tea, right!?
The Oolong Tea itself has a woodsy-oolong taste to it. It infused darker than I expected but it was a pleasant surprise. The oolong even had a subtle smoky or hint of charcoal type flavor to it, too! Again, a nice surprise!
If you read a product description of ANY tea today make sure you check this one out because you can really see just how much thought and thoughtfulness Anne put into this creation over at 52 Teas! Whether you enjoy this tea for the artisan factor or enjoy the connection and tribute to unicorns/ponies, the Burning Man Festival, or even Portlandia it’s certainly a tea that will stick in your mind for one reason or another and certainly worthy of being one of 52 Teas Anniversary Teas! I’m LOVING THIS!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description (Please note, this tea is no longer available)
ingredients: organic oolong tea, dried pluots, organic ginger root, organic crystallized ginger (sliced ginger and sugar), vegan edible glitter and organic natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and what teas are currently available here!
Sweet Watermelon Oolong from TeaLeafs #VeganMoFo2016
I have an insane love for Watermelon so when the prompt for Vegan MoFo was for favorite food, I knew exactly which tea would fit!
I recently polished off my stash of Sweet Watermelon Oolong from TeaLeafs and eventho it’s not currently for sale on their website I thought it was still worth a mention and a review as it is absolutely YUMMY! (As of 11/7- this tea is back online)
Like I stated above…I am now finished with my stash of this flavored Oolong. Is it wrong and weird of me to keep the bag for smelling purposes? Yes, it really IS that wonderfully flavored. It you are a fan of Watermelon Jolly Ranchers you will have to check this one out as soon as it’s available again at TeaLeafs.
Sweet Watermelon Oolong is great HOT and stand alone. But it’s also amazing COLD by itself and/or with your sweetener of your choice. I rarely suggest adding sweeteners to teas but my husband drinks teas with sweeteners when he does drink them and he enjoys this one as well. He’s used Natural Dark Rock Sugar chunks but we have also tried it with Agave and that works nicely, too!
But don’t feel like you HAVE to add anything because this is a gem by itself. I’m assuming my with-drawls will begin shortly. I NEED to get my hands on more of this flavored oolong!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Oolong
Where to Buy: TeaLeafs
Description
Origin: Fujan Provence, China
Ingredients: Oolong tea, Papaya pieces, Plum + Safflower petals, Natural flavors
Ripe, juicy, thirst quenching
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Fig Formosa Oolong from TeaLeafs #VeganMoFo2016
Here is today’s contributing post for Vegan MoFo. Today’s prompt is “Close To Home” This means we are to make a food from our own country, state, or hometown. Because SororiTea Sisters is featuring vegan teas for Vegan MoFo I thought I would feature Fig Formosa Oolong from TeaLeafs for a few different reasons.
TeaLeafs is a wonderful tea shop in Williamsville, NY, which is near Buffalo, NY, all of which are my old stomping grounds. I was born and raised in and around Western New York and will visit whenever possible. Years ago I stop in at TeaLeafs and have been HOOKED ever since! They have over 200 loose leaf teas in stock and LOTS of teaware and collectibles!
As for this specific tea – Fig Formosa Oolong from TeaLeafs – I can’t say enough GOOD things about it! It’s an intensely fig flavored oolong tea. When we bought it the first time we had it iced and since my husband was with me we HAD to put natural rock sugar in it since he likes it sweet. Since I don’t usually put sweeteners in my teas I will say that I have had it BOTH ways and it’s EXCELLENT straight-up and stand alone – as well as – with natural rock sugar in it if you choose! Fig Formosa Oolong from TeaLeafs is also tremendous BOTH hot AND Cold. They sure don’t skimp on the fig flavoring and it’s SUPER TASTY! Fig Formosa Oolong from TeaLeafs is really AWESOME!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: TeaLeafs
Description:
Origin: Taiwan
Ingredients: Oolong tea, Cornflower, Poppy Flower, Natural flavor
A full, whole leaf base with a rich taste of Smyrna figs.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Anxi Tie Guan Yin from Teasenz
I can’t remember the last time I drank a Tie Guan Yin, which is something of a surprise as it’s become one of my favourite oolong varieties. I was more than pleased when I came across this one, not least because it’s a good opportunity to reacquaint myself. This particular Tie Guan Yin is from the Anxi Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, a major Chinese tea growing region (although one I seem to associate more with black tea than with oolong, strangely enough!)
I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3 minutes in water slightly cooled from boiling. The resulting liquor is a clear, pale green with a light yellowish tinge. The leaves are beautifully variegated, encompassing pretty much all shades of green from the palest to the darkest, and just a hint of brown. It’s like walking through a forest in the sunlight! The leaves are rolled, and after three minutes they haven’t entirely unfurled, suggesting that this one might be good for at least another couple of steeps.
The scent of the brewed tea is light but noticeably floral. It reminds me primarily of orchids, lilies, and jasmine – heady, scent-heavy flowers. This carries through into the taste, which initially is very heavily floral. So floral, it almost tastes thick. It doesn’t cross over into territory that’s too perfumey or cloying, but it’s definitely distinctively floral. The mid-sip brings a green beany sweetness that helps to freshen up the overall flavour profile, and towards the end of the sip there’s a hint of nuttiness that puts me very much in mind of hazelnuts. It’s an interesting flavour combination, but one that ultimately works well.
I’m also pleased to find that it very smooth in terms of mouthfeel, with an almost-silkiness about it. There’s no bitterness or astringency at all,
even though the water was quite hot and the brew time reasonably long. As the cup cools, it develops a creaminess that complements the flavours (and particularly the lingering nuttiness) beautifully.
This reacquaintance with a Tie Guan Yin has reminded me why I enjoyed these teas so much in the first place. I’m impressed with the quality of this tea, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Teasenz’s offerings in the future. Impressed!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Description
An all-time favorite of Chinese oolong tea lovers. This beautiful emerald green tea is named after the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin. Poets of the Middle Kingdom have described this premium tea for its purifying taste, bringing you into a peaceful, meditative state of mind.