Tea: Jade Oolong Tea

A Jade Oolong from Arbor Teas - O Organic

Picture of Jade Oolong Tea
Brand:Arbor Teas
Style:Jade Oolong
Region:Nantou, Taiwan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Loose?Loose
# Ratings:1 View All
Product page:Jade Oolong Tea

Review of Jade Oolong Tea

AromaFlavorValueTotal
6 of 104 of 53 of 563 of 100
GoodGoodReasonable

This jade oolong tastes very little like any Taiwanese jade oolongs I've had, and instead tastes more like a greener, medium-roast Tie Guan Yin. The level of roast is noticeably stronger than what I normally expect from a Jade oolong.

The aroma is of honey and wood. In the second infusion, some herbaceous tones come out, including a surprising hint of spearmint and thyme (aromas uncharacteristic of oolongs, to say the least). This tea has some depth and complexity to it that, like many of the better oolongs, do not come out in the first infusion.

Once I got over the fact that it was not what I was expecting, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Compared to other jade oolongs, this is much more full-bodied, less floral, more bitter. Like more moderately-roasted oolongs, it is dominated by woody aromas.

Holds up well to multiple infusions--easily 3 or more with western brewing. I found that each infusion had a remarkably similar character (for better or for worse). The floral tones diminish with each infusion, but there wasn't much of this quality to begin with. The woody tones develop, especially in the second infusion, and more hebaceous qualities also emerge. But the woody quality is evident from the first cup. Subsequent infusions are quite powerful.

This is probably the least favorite tea I've tried so far from Arbor Teas...their other offerings have all consistently "wowed" me, but this one strikes me as more average, and in my opinion, not worth the price as it is the most expensive of the the teas they sent me. However, I have the sense that this is the type of tea that might grow on me greatly. And it is worth noting that you can get away with using a very small amount of leaf: this is a surprisingly powerful tea.

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