Oolong Tea
Wikipedia: Oolong | Teaviews: oolong-teaLast Updated: Mar. 12, 2014
↑About Oolong Tea
The production process for oolongs is somewhat more involved than for black or green teas. The level of oxidation varies widely, with subjective estimates of the level of oxidation ranging from 10% to 75%. The level of roast also varies widely, independently of the level of oxidation. Oolong can be dark in color either due to greater oxidation, or greater roast.
Not all semi-oxidized teas are oolongs, see oolong-like teas below.
Oolong producing regions
Most oolong tea is made in China and Taiwan, although smaller amounts are produced in other countries, including India and Thailand. Oolong tea is widely consumed in China and Taiwan, and it is often served in Chinese restaurants in the United States.Small amounts of oolongs are produced in many other provinces of China.
Caffeine content of oolong tea
In spite of the darker color of the leaf, this Tie Guan Yin oolong produced a light-colored infusion. Photo by Laubrau, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Character of oolongs: color, flavor, aroma, etc.
Oolong teas are very diverse and range from light, floral and vegetal greenish oolongs to richer, darker oolongs more similar to black tea, with all sorts of styles in between as well. Although it is difficult to generalize, oolong teas tend to have a more mellow flavor as compared to either green or black teas. Pouchong or bao zhong is usually considered to be the lightest (least oxidized) oolong. There are numerous darker oolongs.Level of roast: dark roast vs light roast
It is possible for both low-oxidation and high-oxidation oolongs to have either low or high levels of roast. This variability in production process leads to a tremendous amount of diversity in the flavor, aroma, and appearance of different oolong teas. Roasted oolongs tend to have toasty or burnt flavors, often with more woody qualities, and diminished floral qualities in the aroma.
Oolong-like teas: black, white, and Pu-erh teas resembling oolong
Some other teas are partially oxidized but are not classified as oolongs due to a fundamentally different production process. Teas with oolong-like characteristics include darker white teas like shou mei or darker white peony tea, and lighter black teas, especially, lighter Darjeeling first flush. Yellow tea also has a slight oxidation, but it does not closely resemble oolong in flavor or aroma. Some fully-oxidized black teas, especially Chinese black teas produced from cultivars of the tea plant usually used to make oolong, can closely resemble darker oolongs.Some Pu-erh tea, particularly some aged sheng (raw) Pu-erh can resemble oolong in certain ways, reflecting the fact that the aging process produces a different type of oxidation, and a darkening of the tea leaf and mellowing of flavor.
↑Recent Oolong Reviews — RSS
Saimo Assam Summer Organic Artisanal Oolong from TEAORB
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Tinsukia, Assam, IndiaMay. 30th, 2024
I really like this tea! It is thick bodied and flavorful, although it is just slightly too astringent for me. For me personally oolongs are not my absolute favorite type, but I can tell this is a good one. It's very aromatically interesting and it has not gotten bad with age, this is another old tea from around 2017 th...
Read Full ReviewNepal Guranse Estate Organic Oolong Tea from Simpson & Vail
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: NepalMay. 29th, 2024
This tea is really great! The taste is very smooth, it's not too astringent or bitter. The aroma is very nice, it has a slight dank pu erh smell, which is interesting and I like it. The aroma is mild, most likely though because this tea I am tasting is old (2018) and was in my pantry for a while. For a tea that is not ...
Read Full ReviewWuYi Mtn. Oolong Tea (Wuyi Oolong) from Foojoy
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Wuyi, Fujian, ChinaJun. 6th, 2023
I bought a box of 25 tea bags in an Asian grocery store. The bags are individually sealed in foil and filled with finely chopped pieces of tea. Upon opening the foil pouch, the tea smells recognizably as a roasted oolong.
The brewed tea is unremarkable, but it tastes quite nice. It has a mild bitterness that is bala...
This is a nice, mellow oolong, and comes in at a very attractive price. There is nothing attention-grabbing about it; it is just a good tea. The aroma hints at woodlands and hay, and the flavor offers more of the same, with a dash of minerally tannins and vegetal notes. It is fairly light on the palate, and goes dow...
Read Full ReviewThis is a really great tea, it has a complex aroma and flavor. This type of tea is normally expensive but this one is cheaper yet the taste is perfect. And of course, as you all know my biggest issue with teas is ones that are too astringent, and this tea was not astringent at all so it's perfect!
Read Full ReviewRead More Reviews of Oolong (410) ...
↑Top Reviewers
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1 | Alex Zorach | 143 | 28 |
2 | Amanda | 47 | 9 |
3 | SarsyPie | 22 | 4 |
4 | Kelsey | 16 | 3 |
5 | Alex | 12 | 2 |
Review 13 teas to get on this list!
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↑Most-Rated Oolong
Monkey Picked Oolong Tea
Brand: | Teavana |
Style: | Tie Guan Yin |
Region: | ????? |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Chinese Oolong
Brand: | Bigelow Tea |
Style: | Oolong Tea |
Region: | China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Teabag |
Guang Dong Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea
Brand: | TeaVivre |
Style: | Dancong Oolong |
Region: | Guangdong, China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Nonpareil Taiwan Li Shan Oolong Tea
Brand: | TeaVivre |
Style: | Oolong Tea |
Region: | Taichung, Taiwan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Dong Ding Oolong
Brand: | Tradition |
Style: | Jade Oolong |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
↑Top-Rated Oolong
Bao Zhong Oolong Tea
Brand: | Rishi Tea |
Style: | Pouchong Tea |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Wuyi Mountain Big Red Robe
Brand: | Verdant Tea |
Style: | Da Hong Pao |
Region: | Wuyi, Fujian, China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Formosa Amber Oolong Select
Brand: | Upton Tea Imports |
Style: | Amber Oolong |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Bio Pao Chung Pouchong
Brand: | Teehaus Bachfischer |
Style: | Pouchong Tea |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Superfine Anxi Qing Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong Tea
Brand: | TeaVivre |
Style: | Tie Guan Yin |
Region: | Anxi, Fujian, China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |