Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas from Taiwan / Formosa
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Dong Ding Oolong from Tradition
Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa93 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 20th, 2010
This is an exceptionally strong tea: without a doubt, the strongest green oolong I have yet tried. Very little leaf is needed. While I've had Dong Ding with a more nuanced aroma, it was weaker overall, and I actually prefer strength, especially in this style of tea which can be a little too gentle for my tastes. The...
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Bai Hao Oolong (Oriental Beauty) Superior Grade from Life in Teacup
Style: Oriental Beauty – Region: Hsinchu (County), Taiwan53 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Dec. 17th, 2010
Thank you Marlena for sharing this one with me!
Fruity and complex aroma, but completely without bitterness or bite, even when using a generous amount of leaf and steeping for a long time. The overall character of the cup is Darjeeling-like, although with less edge. Although it's mild in terms of aroma and bittern...
Jasmine Tea from Tradition
Style: Jasmine Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 15th, 2010
Very strong floral aroma to the dry leaf. The cup brews a deep golden color, and its aroma is much more subtle than that of the dry leaf. Smooth flavor. Overall character is mellow, deep, but with a metallic aftertaste.
I made three infusions, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and much longer for the last. The aroma was hig...
A-Li-Son Oolong Tea from Tradition
Style: High Mountain Oolong – Region: Chiayi (County), Taiwan87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 29th, 2010
Now and then I buy tea loose-leaf tea in Chinatown, Asian import stores, and other specialty food stores, and I am often disappointed. However, this one was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting much: I bought 100 grams of this Alishan Oolong for $7, which seemed extraordinarily cheap. I've had better Alishan Oolo...
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Jade Oolong Tea from Arbor Teas
Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Nantou, Taiwan63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Sep. 28th, 2010
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 co...
Iron Goddess of Mercy from Rishi Tea
Style: Tie Guan Yin – Region: Nantou, Taiwan90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 10th, 2010
Wow. Rishi gets my attention again with another tea that is recognizable as its style but with its own unique twist. The aroma is astonishingly complex...in addition to the toasty, woody, and fruity tones you might expect from a medium-roasted Tie Guan Yin, there is a strong suggestion of spice (nutmeg, mace, and cin...
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Pouchong Tea 2nd Grade from Ten Ren Tea
Style: Pouchong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa80 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 7th, 2010
I decided to try out the 2nd grade this time--the 3rd grade is absolutely the most affordable Pouchong I've tried that is still passable. This cost a lot more--I would say this tea is getting into a pretty expensive range and is competing with some good greener oolongs.
The overall character of this tea is very sim...
Green Tea from Hsin Tung Yang
Style: Green Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa53 / 100 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Apr. 22nd, 2010
The dry leaf is flaky in appearance, meaning it is probably a steamed tea like a sencha. But the aroma is totally unlike sencha.
Brewing as I would Sencha, this comes out a cloudy grayish green, more yellowish than most Japanese teas but greener than most pan-fired teas.
This tea is packed with flavor: a rich, c...
Tung Ting Oolong from Hsin Tung Yang
Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Apr. 13th, 2010
I bought this in a 60g canister for $4 in Philadelphia's chinatown, and I wasn't expecting much because it seemed cheap for this style. This is barely recognizable as a Tung Ting / Dong Ding oolong: the leaves are broken, although in fairly large pieces, and although it's on the lighter side for an oolong, it seems to...
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Formosa Oolong Extra Fancy from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa67 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Mar. 12th, 2010
When I bought this tea it was the second-highest-priced grade of the standard "Formosa oolongs" in Upton's catalogue. They've since switched things around and discontinued this tea.
I found this tea, moving up from the lowest grades (TT11-TT17), to be the first one that offered an appreciable difference, the first ...
Oolong Choicest Grade from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa50 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 10th, 2010
Upton offers a number of different grades of Formosa oolong with only moderate differences in price...this one, by weight, costs less than 50% more than TT11, the "standard grade". Again, the leaf is broken, but in larger pieces than some of the lower grades. The dry leaf has a weak, earthy aroma.
The brewed tea i...
Formosa Jade Oolong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa57 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 1st, 2010
Extremely mellow...the aroma is more like that of a floral honey than other teas. Light in color. Sweet, with almost no bitterness, sourness, or astringency. Compared to other Tung Tings I've tried, this tea is less like other oolongs and more like a Pouchong. In my opinion, it's too thin, and it has a bit of a fis...
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Oolong Fine Grade from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa57 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 28th, 2010
This tea is one step up (in price and presumably quality) from TT11. It lives up to my expectations. Surprisingly, however, the leaves are more finely broken in this tea. Visually, I'd expect this to be the lower grade tea, but actually brewing the two teas demonstrates otherwise.
I find this tea to have signific...
Oolong Standard Grade from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa53 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 26th, 2010
Upton has renamed their teas or changed their item codes between TT10 and TT11, which makes discussing them confusing. The old TT10, Season's Pick Formosa Fannings, was discontinued. This is the same tea that used to be called TT11 but it's now TT10. (Update, they now renamed it back to TT11. lol.)
This is a radi...
Season's Pick Formosa Fannings from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa50 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Feb. 22nd, 2010
The leaf of this tea is significantly coarser than many grades I have also seen called fannings.
The brewed tea is deep reddish brown. The aroma isn't terribly strong, and is mostly earthy with some nutty tones. Little bitterness, but also, little complexity.
I find that this tea is too mellow for my tastes if ...
Formosa Oolong Spring Dragon from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Flavored Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 12th, 2010
Aroma is light and floral; it's almost impossible to tell where the tea ends and the lilac begins: the two fragrances blend seamlessly. This tea does have a hint of the soapy quality that I find plagues some Tung Tings, in contrast to TT86, which wasn't my favorite tea, but lacked this soapiness.
I was disappointed...
Formosa Special White Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: White Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa47 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 27th, 2010
I found this tea disappointing, especially for its price, which makes it interesting for me to see that it has been dropped from Upton's carryings.
The aroma of this tea reminds me of a green tea. The cup has a clean and crisp quality, like a good Japanese sencha, but without much bitterness or sharpness. There ar...
Oolong #18 / Jade Oolong from Adagio Teas
Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa57 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Oct. 29th, 2009
Beautifully fragrant leaves and beautifully fragrant brewed tea. Sweet, light, orchid-like floral aroma. Weak flavor, with a very clean taste...sweet with a hint of tanginess and no bitterness. Upon drinking, what seemed like a pleasantly strong aroma becomes too weak.
Adagio recommends brewing 5 minutes with 180...
Pouchong from Adagio Teas
Style: Pouchong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa43 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Oct. 28th, 2009
Aroma light, vegetal, honey-like, and floral, but unfortunately, also a bit soapy. My main complaint is that this tea is so bland!
Flavor is extremely mild; a hint of sweetness, no bitterness, and absolutely no astringency whatsoever. Very clean aftertaste. More aromatic than flavorful. Although all pouchongs te...
Formosa Amber Oolong Select from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Amber Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa93 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 4th, 2009
The dry leaves were not very aromatic, but when I brewed it...wow.
This tea has a very rich and complex aroma: bold, earthy, with some nutty and woody tones, and a floral quality as well. Of all the teas I've tried from Upton, this is the one which seems to deviate the most from its lower-grade counterpart--this ha...
Ti Kuan Yin from Ten Ren Tea
Style: Tie Guan Yin – Region: Taiwan / Formosa73 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 23rd, 2009
Very rich and full-bodied, and more bitter than Ten Ren's Tung Ting and Ten Wu oolongs, but still not very bitter. Pleasant aroma, both earthy and fresh...cleaner tasting than other dark oolongs I've had in teabags. I tend to prefer lighter Ti Kuan Yin teas...but I enjoy this one a lot, especially given that it is in...
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Ten Wu Fine Oolong from Ten Ren Tea
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 21st, 2009
Without a doubt, this is the best tea in a basic teabag that I've ever tried. (Tradition's whole-leaf oolong in a sachet strikes me as better, but I think that's in a different category of teas.)
The aroma is fresh, complex, and difficult to describe. The cup is exceedingly rich and also very smooth, with a hint o...
Tung Ting Oolong from Ten Ren Tea
Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa70 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 19th, 2009
This was the first time I ever tried this type of oolong. While this tea is pretty good for a teabag oolong, it falls far short of any loose Tung Ting / Dong Ding I've tried.
Smooth, very mellow, and sweet...but almost to the point of being bland. Tastes like you've added honey even without doing so. However, com...
Formosa Amber Oolong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Amber Oolong – Region: Taiwan / Formosa67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 2nd, 2009
The dry leaves have only a weak aroma, and unfurl somewhat, but not a great deal, upon brewing.
The brewed tea is amber in color as the name suggests; the aroma is nutty and warm, not overpowering, and with a hint of a skunkiness to it. There is only a hint of bitterness and tanginess in the flavor...the tanginess ...
Pouchong Tea 3rd Grade from Ten Ren Tea
Style: Pouchong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Aug. 29th, 2009
I'm not sure I agree with the commercial description; it says "sharp and full bodied with a roasted quality" but I don't notice any of these qualities--this tea seems mellow, thin and clear, not full-bodied, and has not even a hint of roasted tones.
The aroma is light and floral, with a vegetal character, and perhap...
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