Oolong tea types and tastes guide

Classic light oolongs, such as Jin Xuan, Si Ji Chun, Ruan Zhi, or Cui Yu, are brewed in an infusion of light, golden-amber color. These kinds are lightly oxidized and mildly roasted. Our light oolongs have rich fruity, floral and caramel notes and a long oily aftertaste.

If you like baked notes along with the rich fruity taste, we’d recommend you to buy Dong Ding. This oolong type is medium oxidized and medium to high roasted. It typically has a dense and powerful taste with bready, buttery, nutty flavors to it. Interested? Check out our Dong Ding Tea from the best Dong Ding master in Thailand.

Moving to more oxidized oolongs in our shop, which have an infusion of a darker color, we should mention popular GABA teas. These are dark oolongs of light roast and medium oxidation level. GABA teas undergo a special oxidation process in an oxygen-free environment, which allows extracting gamma-amino-butyric acid. This acid is proven to have nootropic properties. You can buy few GABA oolongs in our online shop, they are all delicious and have different notes added to the typical GABA taste. The infusion is dark amber.

Many of our customers believe that the best oolongs to buy among highly oxidized types are those made from bug-bitten leaves. These teas are famous for their distinctive honey-sweet flavor, which is why this kind got its ‘Champagne oolong’ name or Oriental Beauty Tea.

The leaves of Oriental Beauties are attacked by the tea green leafhoppers. The insect’s bites start the oxidation process in leaves that are still on bushes. Along with the activation of the enzymes of the tea plant responsible for the release of flavoring substances, there is also the effect of the enzymes of the leafhoppers themselves, which also affects the chemical сomposition, aroma and taste of the tea. This results in that signature honey, muscatel taste.

There are two kinds of Oriental Beauty oolong tea, Gui Fei and Dongfang Meiren, they differ in the type of twist. You can buy both in our shop.

The aged 2014 Hong Shui is a vivid representative of a medium roasted and deeply oxidized, so-called ‘Red Water’ oolong tea. Therefore, it is perfect for black tea fans. But, unlike most black teas, here you will find powerful berry and spicy flavors: hints of cherries, strawberries, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Years of storing also change the taste and if you like aged notes in oolongs, we have great options to offer. In our shop, you can buy aged oolongs from 10 years and older. One of our most favorite is 2006 Lao Cui Yu and the oldest one so far is 1995 Lao Qing Xin Oolong.

 Up to the teas