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Milky Oolong

 
Last Updated: Jun. 20, 2012 

About Milky Oolong

Tightly-rolled oolong tea leaves, bright green with golden and dark green accents, on white backgroundLoose-leaf Jin Xuan (Milky Oolong) Tea Leaves, Photo © Difference engine (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Milky oolong or milk oolong, also known as jian xuan, is a style of oolong that has a milky aroma and a creamy and smooth quality, as if milk had been added. Milky oolongs are produced in both China and Taiwan, including in China in the Guangzhou(Quangzhou) region of Guangdong province.

Different sources provide conflicting information about milky oolong. The Upton Tea Quarterly says that the unique "milky aroma and creamy smoothness" are a result of special varietals[1], Hinas Tea claims there is a legend that it is a result of a temperature shift[2], Ten Ren claims the tea is scented with actual milk[3], and a tea blogger has claimed that the milky character is a result of artificial flavorings[4].

Tony Gebely explores these discrepancies in a post on his blog World of Tea, titled Unraveling the Mystery of Milk Oolong a bit more: Admari Teas. He quotes Adrienne Ann Etkin of Admari Teas, who explains that teas scented with steamed milk are used as a cheap alternative to the traditional production of milky oolong, which involve harvesting time and growing conditions. Gebely observes that the traditionally processed tea has superior flavor which is retained through as many as seven infusions. If you are concerned with how a particular tea marketed as "milky oolong" has been produced, it is important to research the particular tea you are buying and company you are buying from to verify how it has been produced.

References:

1. Upton Tea Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 3, Summer 2009.

2. Quangzhou Milk Oolong, Hinas Tea, Retrieved Dec. 20, 2009.

3. Milky Oolong, Ten Ren Tea, Retrieved Dec. 20, 2009.

4. Guangzhou Milk Oolong, Me and My Tea, Feb. 24, 2009.


Recent Milky Oolong Reviews — RSS rss icon

70 / 100
Picture of Milky Oolong Thailand

Milky Oolong Thailand from Unami

Style: Milky Oolong – Region: Thailand
Nov. 28th, 2018

It has a lovely creamy taste, while also being nice and flowery. It has a very warm flavour, it's nice and sweet too. It's good for lots of steepings and has a bright yellowish green colour.

I'm sometimes afraid I won't be able to distinguish new light oolongs I buy from others that I already have, but this one is d...

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65 / 100
Picture of Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong Tea

An overall, 'meh' tea. Was not milky or creamy at all, but that was expected. Had a cabbage taste which was the main thing I disliked about this tea. I would recommend this tea if you a fine with a strong vegetal taste.

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0 / 100
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Milk Oolong Full-Leaf from Republic of Tea

Style: Milky Oolong – Region: Fujian, China
Aug. 29th, 2017

This tea is a lie. It's mediocre oolong that's been sprayed with caramel apple flavoring. Republic of Tea isn't always the highest quality, but I at least expected them to be honest. The can gives no indication that it's flavored and the website positively claims that it isn't. At first I doubted my own senses, but I w...

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69 / 100
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Milky Oolong from Het Gouden Randje

Style: Milky Oolong – Region: China
Aug. 11th, 2017

I drank this in Het Gouden Randje's tearoom.

It smelled sweet and creamy, and almost like custard. Definitely like vanilla. I was amazed with how the clear liquor tasted and felt milky. It's soft and sweetish.
It actually reminds me of a cheap artificial-vanilla-flavoured bagged tea that I used to drink years ago, ...

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50 / 100
Picture of Jin Xuan Milk Oolong

My first "milky" oolong. Hmmm...
The aroma of the dry, dark, greenish-brown balls is overpoweringly sweet. I was shocked at how much it smells like caramel popcorn, with a creamy milk-like background. Quite bizarre, and smells more like something I'd eat rather than drink.

There's a lot of controversy with Milk ...

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Picture of Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong Tea

Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong Tea

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Taiwan / Formosa
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
44
5 Ratings
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Jin Xuan Oolong Tea

Brand:Eco-Cha
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Nantou, Taiwan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
60
3 Ratings
Picture of Formosa Milk Oolong (Spring Harvest)

Formosa Milk Oolong (Spring Harvest)

Brand:Admari Tea
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Taiwan / Formosa
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
1 Rating
Picture of Jin Xuan Milk Oolong

Jin Xuan Milk Oolong

Brand:Music City Tea
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Taiwan / Formosa
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
1 Rating
Picture of Alishan Milky Oolong Tea

Alishan Milky Oolong Tea

Brand:Teasenz
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Taiwan / Formosa
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
1 Rating

Top-Rated Milky Oolong

No image of this tea

Jin Xuan Oolong Tea

Brand:Eco-Cha
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Nantou, Taiwan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
60
3 Ratings
Picture of Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong Tea

Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong Tea

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Milky Oolong
Region:Taiwan / Formosa
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
44
5 Ratings

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