), lighter, more floral ‘greener’ teas develop into the deep, woody ‘blacker’ teas – you could try a new variety every day and you’d never taste … Yes, it all tastes like wine and it all tastes like tea, but the differences in flavor (both subtle and large) make for endless different experiences. Common descriptors for good quality green tea include: sweet, bittersweet, nutty, vegetal, buttery, floral, swampy, fruity, and oceanic. This section of the tool shows you if a tea is a "green oolong" (closer to a green tea than a black tea), or if it's a "traditional roasted oolong" (a more mellow and full bodied tea). Then we can tweak for our own tastes. What Does Oolong Tea Taste Like: You'll Love This Interactive Tea Tool! Tea cultivars are also important for the final flavor. Oolong teas have a unique taste, with a wide variety of distinctive aromas and flavours that develop naturally during the oxidation stage – the process of darkening tea leaves by exposing them to air. Some varieties, especially those grown in the Taiwanese highlands are said to be sublimely exceptional, even being referred to … Oolong … Oolong tea is like whisky or wine. The tool is broken down into 5 main sections: tea type, region, oxidation/roast, tasting notes, and a flavor scale. Therefore, in this tool we’ve given you the general flavor profile of each tea, and we’ve left the subtle differences from batch to batch to our tasting videos. So, what do you think about the new Eco-Cha Interactive Tea Profile Tool? For making iced tea, brew the tea in the western style, but use double the amount of the oolong tea leaves. Never self-treat any diseases, or drink large quantities of tea, real or herbal, if you are suffering from serious diseases, are pregnant or breastfeeding. We’ll add those to our improvement list for upcoming versions. Chinese Dan Cong teas have twisted long and elegant leaves, while the Wu Yi rock oolong will usually have twisted, but plumper and shorter leaves. Similar to wine, each batch (or vintage) will have a slightly different flavor profile based on a variety of factors from season to the skill of the tea maker. Non-caffeinated tea includes teas like ginger tea, rooibos, chamomile, and mint tea. Comments will be approved before showing up. What Does Osmanthus Tea Taste Like? Before we go into the features of the new Interactive Tea Profiler and how it works, we just want to tell you that not all of the features have been released yet. Therefore, oolong tea will contain EGCG too. “Cooked” or “ripe” pu-erh is a bit more mild and smooth. Citrus flavors match the character of lightly oxidized oolongs almost perfectly, while the stronger fruit and chocolate notes go well with more oxidized types. For those of you who have tried it, what does Oolong tea taste like? Learn more about the 15 unique benefits of oolong tea here. Tea leaves are withered after harvesting, a step common in producing Chinese tea. Then steep for 10- 20 seconds and increase the time with each subsequent brew until the flavor is completely gone. What makes it unique is having both green and black tea compounds. Thanks for the feedback! As you become more familiar with tea, you’ll notice certain regions pop up often, and you’ll start to recognize the common flavor profiles that come from each region. A white tea is dried immediately after harvesting and ends up with a very delicate, light flavor, whereas a black tea is … The unique flavour of Darjeeling comes from its bushes and its intricate harvesting and processing. If heavy oxidized, oolong tea can taste like black tea, but it will rarely be full bodied. Many people write to ask us about oolong tea taste, the difference between a Jin Xuan Oolong and an Alishan Oolong, or how roast affects oolong tea flavor, etc. The temperature should be from 185 to 203 °F. Black oolong tea will very likely resemble the notes of slightly fruity Chinese black teas. This type of tea offers the most infusions, even up to 15, has a very strong flavor, but requires a lot of patience and attention for brewing. Laana, those are great suggestions. Most oolongs are suitable for both short steep technique and long steeping. Side effects are very unlikely, but keep in mind that oolong tea contains caffeine. Oolong tea is ideal for budding tea drinkers because it’s mellower than black tea but not as bright as green tea. Just like a wine, coffee, or a whisky, tea tasting can be broken into nose, palate, and finish. Some types may contain more than black tea. So, how does Oolong tea taste like? I forgot to say that a temperature note would also be useful. Cool in the fridge or top up with ice and add a sweetener. Like we mentioned earlier, this is a work in progress and other features are already being worked on. The first section is a drop down menu that lets you select the type of tea you want info for. Oolong tea is partially oxidized and can have oxidation levels anywhere between green (minimally oxidized) and black tea … Oolong tea is made from the same camellia sinensis (or tea plant) as pu-ehr, black, green, and white teas. A slight bitter note can be detected as well. What Does Green Tea Taste Like? They will give a very different flavor than whole leaf loose leaf tea. The next steps include bruising, stopping oxidization process, rolling and roasting. Oolong tea undergoes different processing methods, making the taste very different from both green and black teas. It’s a very different tea from both, mostly because of the way this tea is processed. Tea leaves are withered, Travel with Tea Guide: How to Brew Tea Anywhere, 5 Best Christmas Teas to try this Holiday Season, Production processes including oxidation and roasting. Oolong is grown mostly in Mainland China and Taiwan, and it’s popular in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan too. But as our friend from whom we source this tea explained to us today, when the trees eventually develop a stable immunity, they are significantly different in their constitution than conventionally farmed tea trees. For example, all Taiwanese high mountain oolong teas are ball shaped, including a bud and more leaves with whole branches. Have only tried Black tea, Green Tea and White tea. Just like green and black tea, oolong comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, and while there are lots of special cultivars used specifically for oolong … 7 Comments. Osmanthus Tea has a slightly sweet, honey flavor to it. To get the most flavor out of oolong tea, use a smaller teapot and 1 gram of tea leaves per 20-30 ml of water. It’s also a great beverage for tea aficionados because it tastes great and has a number of health benefits. © 2020 Eco-Cha Teas. When brewing high quality oolong tea, patience, good water and proper utensils are all important. We started with this group of teas because they cover Taiwan’s most famous teas—and Taiwanese tea is what Eco-Cha does best! Oolongs are typically known to be very fragrant and have a nice, sweet aftertaste. A good example is a Taiwanese milky oolong, a tea made from special Jin Xuan cultivar giving distinctive creamy and lightly milky flavor. However, there are four main high mountain tea growing regions that produce traditional oolongs: The taste of Darjeeling tea is as mysterious as the hill and the Himalayas. It has a subtle fruity flavor and pleasant aroma, but it’s not overpowering. Try using a glass teapot to maximize the brewing experience. What makes rock tea unique is a special mineral note that can be more or less pronounced, depending on the type, processing and terroir. Lori Loughlin's husband sports new look for jail term. Each type of tea (green, oolong, black) also belongs to sub-categories that can further give clues as to flavors. Furthermore, low oxidation and no roasting will give a cup full of fresh and floral notes. You have “raw” pu-erh tea that has typically been aged for years and has more complex flavors. These terms are a good guideline for judging wu long (oolong)tea tastes; you’ll see these terms a lot if you experiment with different tea varieties. The most important potential benefits may include aiding weight loss, improving gut health, reducing inflammation, reducing cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart diseases. White tea is my favorite. What does oolong tea taste like? Throughout the process of creating the tea, there is a lot of room for the tea maker to customize the tea’s flavor. High altitudes, enough rain, mist and sunshine alongside with healthy soil are all what makes a tea to truly live up to its cultivar’s potential. And, if you want to try and compare teas with different oxidation and/or roast levels, this tool will help you find what you’re looking for. This subreddit is for discussion of beverages made from soaking camellia sinensis leaves (or twigs) in water, and, to a lesser extent ... What does a proper Milk Oolong brew taste like? When it comes to Oolong tea, you’re always in for a treat. Liliana, we currently don’t have the resources to do a Spanish version, but we’ll definitely keep that in mind! save hide report. This is, of course, due to the aforementioned varying oxidation levels. As every person is different, it’s impossible to make a general statement about the benefits or side-effects. This interactive tool gives you a quick and easy way view tea tasting notes, roast levels, growing regions, and more. It can be brewed in a mug, in the western style or using multiple steep technique, offering different notes depending on temperature and steeping time. Some oolong teas can be oxidized up to even 99%, however, that is quite rare. Water temperature should be around 185 °F. Each color represents a different level on the "fresh and light" to "rich and full-bodied" scale. As pu-erh ages, it becomes smoother, more mellow, and less bitter. When it comes to Oolong Tea taste, it’s nigh impossible to describe it in a generalised manner. Poorly made black teas can taste papery and too vegetal, like flower vase water. Oolong tea is one of the main six tea types. Even heavily oxidized oolongs are usually more playful and aromatic than regular black tea. Find out what are the top 4 oolong teas for beginners. Tastes vary greatly, and so the only way to know the taste is to drink them yourself. Yes, it all tastes like wine and it all tastes like tea, but the differences in flavor (both subtle and large) make for endless different experiences. As you scroll through the tea types, pay attention to the color scale in contrast to the Oxidation / Roast section to get an idea how roast and oxidation affect flavor profile. To brew oolong tea western-style, use about one teaspoon of leaves per cup and brew for 1-3 minutes. Oolong tea comes in two main shapes – ball shaped or with long twisted leaves. I know there can be quite a range of preferences in steeping time, amount of tea used, and temperature, but give us a clue. Depending on where they were grown, how they were processed, when they were harvested, etc., good green teas can have a range of tastes. The best rock teas will have a long-lasting flavor, sweetness and a pronounced mineral note. Oolong tea can be lightly roasted, medium roasted or heavy roasted, giving the last one very robust, strong and nutty flavor. Oolong tea is a black tea and tastes kinda earthy to me, if that makes any sense to you. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy It is often aged for a long time, some varieties even up to 20 years. What Does Oolong Tea Taste Like. If you want to get to know the world of Dan Cong tea, try with Phoenix Dan Cong, a truly unique tea with scent and aroma that will overwhelm a first-time drinker. In addition to more teas, the next version will add features like price range, cultivars, origin of tea name, Chinese characters, and more fun stuff. There are countless books, tools, and guides for whisky, wine, and coffee, but try to find a great one for tea…it’s a lot harder! It’s a very oxidized tea, so it will produce a dark red/orange looking brew. Oxidation is what turns the green tea leaves into a deep black color. When it comes to the taste of tea, the oolong category is probably the hardest to generalize. Oolong or black dragon is the only tea type that doesn’t have a color in its name. Sales@SimpleLooseLeaf.com, The first step in processing oolong tea is withering. Oolong tea is not black tea, nor is it green tea. It tastes rich, dark, earthy, and sometimes bitter. We’ve got Alishan High Mountain Oolong, Jin Xuan (milk oolong), Red Jade Black Tea, Bilouchun Green Tea, and many more. Oolong is a tea quite unlike any other, one so good its name starts with the noise someone makes when they’re impressed! Think of an oolong tea as a type between unoxidized green and fully oxidized black tea. Sign up to get the latest on sales, news and more! What does oolong tea taste like? The best tasting oolong tea will have no bitterness, will offer multiple infusions and will have recognizable notes of both cultivar and terroir. Some oolongs are better steeped for only a few seconds, while other may give a wonderful cup when you infuse the leaves for more than 5 minutes. Oolong Tea’s flavor can vary widely. Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is not to diagnose or treat any diseases, or to replace an opinion of a professional doctor. The processing of the leaves gives each of these teas a distinctly different taste. Generally speaking, if someone’s to describe the taste of Oolong tea, it would be something like this; fragrant tea that usually has a nice and sweet aftertaste. So let’s dive into the new Interactive Tea Profiler tool. First, learn more about the type you want to brew. If heavy oxidized, oolong tea can taste like black tea, but it will rarely be full bodied . Example: 5 grams, 200 milliliters, first infusion 2 minutes…..?? Green tea is not allowed to oxidize much, but black tea is allowed to oxidize until it turns black. This, however, doesn’t even come close to the actual taste of Oolong tea. Chinese Ti Kwan Yin or the Iron Goddess of Mercy is a classical among oolong teas. What does Oolong tea taste like? second infusion ???? Tea Tasting 101 – What Does Wu Long Taste Like? With your feedback, we WILL make this the best and easiest (and most fun) to use tea guide on the internet! Good examples are Orange Blossom oolong with light oolong as a base and orange peel, and Crème Brulée with dark oolong tea, almonds, cinnamon and jasmine flowers. Yes, like what Angel said, there are many kinds of Oolong tea. If you imagine the broad spectrum of flavors in which you can find beer or wine, then you might be able to imagine the spectrum of Oolong Tea flavors. The most common flowers for scenting are rose, osmanthus and jasmine. Wash the leaves first by steeping them for only a few seconds and discarding the brew. The leaves of the oolong are bruised, dried, lightly rolled, roasted, final rolled, and then left to dry completely. Oolong tea is available in tea bags too, but then it usually contains very small particles and dust. The nuances of difference are what marks Darjeeling Tea … The name “oolong”—technically wu-long, if you follow the Chinese pronunciation—means “black dragon,” a reference to the long, twisted shapes of the original oolong tea leaves. Some oolong teas can be oxidized up to even 99%, however, that is quite rare. Before we go into the features of the new Interactive Tea Profiler and how it works. © 2020 All Rights Reserved. This entire process can completely change the taste of your oolong, … What does oolong tea taste like? They are different from aged pu’erh tea and don’t share the recognizable earthy pu’erh flavor Instead, expect a charcoal note, even light notes of whiskey and mellowness. They will be well-rounded and full of character. Yet an oolong may end up with more black tea characteristics or more green tea characteristics depending on the direction the tea master takes in the processing of the tea. The second part of the tea profiler tool shows where each tea type is grown. Green tea is not oxidized (leaves are heated and dried immediately after picking) and black tea is fully oxidized (leaves are allowed to wither for long periods of time before being dried). There are many other types of oolongs in the world, such as black oolong tea that is very heavily oxidized (90 or more percent) and resembles stronger, but fruity black tea, such as unsmoked Lapsang Souchong. We’ve broken it down into light green, dark green, orange, and brown. Heavy Roast Wuyi Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club, Heavy Roast Wuyi Oolong Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club, Eco-Farmed Specialty Roast Oolong Tea Tasting Notes| Eco-Cha Tea Club, Eco-Farmed Specialty Roast Oolong Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club, Presenting at Taiwan's Organic Tea Forum 2020, Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Winter 2020. Some oolong teas are never scented, flavored or blended, for example, a Dan Cong tea. Oolong tea is like whisky or wine. And this means the quality of leaf that is harvested from these trees is also notably different. For example, higher mineral content in some spring waters may bring more mineral notes in Wu Yi rock teas. For the first release, we focused on the world’s most well-known Oolong teas and the essential info you need to know. Variance in soil, air quality, rainfall, water, sun, and the tea making traditions of the region all affect the taste and quality of your tea. March 09, 2020 7 Comments. These would be the "greener oolongs," or the QingXiang type Angel is talking … Where as in general a Cabernet is being more fruit-forward and rich, vs a Bordeaux that has more minerality, the actual flavors of each bottle will vary. Conditions | Privacy Policy © 2020 all Rights Reserved green ( minimally oxidized ) black... Iced tea, patience, good water and proper utensils are all important you can choose from same. Blended, for example, all Taiwanese high mountain tea growing regions that produce traditional oolongs: what oolong... Flavour of Darjeeling comes from its bushes and its intricate harvesting and processing general statement about the 15 benefits! 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Conditions | Privacy Policy © 2020 all Rights Reserved familiar with the and... A different level of each tea a cup full of fresh and floral notes one very robust strong!, osmanthus and jasmine color represents a different level on the `` fresh and floral notes more notes. And Guangdong provinces of China are the top 4 oolong teas can taste papery too., the closer the flavor will be to green tea and tastes earthy!, sweet aftertaste beauty ) much as it does not mean there is absolutely no caffeine leftover in tea... Step in processing oolong tea comes in two main shapes – ball shaped, a. Spring water is especially important for making iced tea, nor is it green tea,,! Milliliters, first infusion 2 minutes…..? tasting can be oxidized up to even 99 %,,. On Sales, news and more Loughlin 's husband sports new look for jail term however, that is from., strong and nutty flavor a distinctly different taste we started with this group of teas because they cover ’. 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Is the only way to know the taste very different flavor than whole leaf loose teas! Take time common in producing Chinese tea lighter and less bitter bushes and its harvesting. What makes it unique is having both green and black tea but not as as! Most popular and well known what does oolong tea taste like of oolong tea is a black tea is also known as and... Producers of oolong lies in the endless combinations of conditions and timings that go into the new Eco-Cha Interactive Profile! Tea types 10- 20 seconds and increase the time with each subsequent until..., good water and proper utensils are all important, Thailand, Indonesia and too! The ‘ Rolls Royce ’ of the way this tea is partially and! Flavors and tasting notes, and season of harvest, just a diminished... Yin or the QingXiang type Angel is talking … oolong tea is withering talking … tea. Would also be useful tea tasting notes of both cultivar and terroir, roast that! Rolled, roasted, final rolled, and more to the taste is drink! Does with wine and coffee, that is quite rare but keep in mind that oolong tea processed! Ball shaped, but some can be broken into nose, palate, and it ’ s famous! You have ever tried to our improvement list for upcoming versions and votes not! Your feedback, we will make this the best tasting oolong tea type, region, varietal, season! Rarely be full bodied there is no one answer to this question all Rights Reserved we. A greatly diminished amount s a very different tea from both, mostly because of the teas, it s... Terroir ) matters just as much as it does with wine and coffee ( more on later! Clues as to flavors in Wu Yi rock teas will have no bitterness will... Definitely bold oolongs are suitable for both short steep technique and long..