Oolong Tea

Oolong sits between green tea and black tea, and the gap it covers is wide. Some oolongs are pale, floral and barely oxidised, brewing up closer to a good green tea. Others are roasted dark and taste more like a mild black tea with dried fruit and toast in the background. This page walks through the main styles on offer here, so you can choose a jar that actually matches how you like to drink, rather than guessing from the word "oolong" on the label.

Light, floral oolongs from Taiwan

These are the oolongs closest to green tea: only lightly oxidised, pale in the cup, and more floral than fruity. Adagio Teas Jade Oolong is a good example, grown near the Tung Ting mountain in Nantou County and known for its deep green colour and large, tightly rolled leaves that open up slowly over several steeps. It suits someone who finds plain green tea a little thin but doesn't want the full strength of black tea either.

Milk Oolong is a lightly oxidised style too, but from the Jin Xuan cultivar, a relatively new one in Taiwanese tea that is prized for a natural cream and butter quality. Nothing is added to get that flavour, which makes it a good pick for a gift where "dessert tea, but not artificial" is the brief.

Dark, roasted oolongs

At the other end sit oolongs left to oxidise longer and finished with a proper roast, which pushes the colour toward amber and brown and the flavour toward something deeper and more filling. Da Hong Pao, also called Wuyi rock tea, is the standard bearer for this style, roasted and grown on the Wuyi mountains in Fujian province. Adagio Teas Formosa Oolong takes the same darker, roasted approach but from Taiwan, with a raisiny, ripe fruit character that suits cooler, autumn drinking.

Ti Kuan Yin, also spelled Tieguanyin, is another well known name from Fujian and sits in this same fuller bodied family, a good next step for someone who has tried Da Hong Pao and wants to compare it against a different Fujian oolong.

Rare and single origin oolongs

Some oolongs are worth seeking out simply because they come from a particular, small patch of ground. Darjeeling Oolong is grown at the Singbulli Estate in Darjeeling, India, an unusual origin for oolong since the region is better known for black tea. Dancong, also known as Phoenix Mi Lan Xiang, is a rare variety grown on Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong province, China. Both suit a tea drinker who already has the everyday basics covered and is looking for something more specific to sit with.

Oriental Beauty goes by several names, including Formosa Bai Hao, White Tip Oolong and Champagne oolong, and is one of the more heavily oxidised Taiwanese teas, closer in strength to a black tea. Monkey Picked Oolong is grown in Anxi County, Fujian, under its given name of Huang Jin Gui. Either makes a good gift for someone who already knows their way around loose leaf.

Flavoured oolongs

Oolong's natural sweetness holds up well against added flavouring, which is why it turns up so often in fruit and dessert style blends. Peach Oolong starts with a dark Taiwanese oolong and adds the flavour of juicy peaches, while Coconut Pouchong pairs a velvety, lighter pouchong style with tropical coconut. Both suit a teabag switcher who wants something recognisably flavoured but with real leaves underneath.

Oolong in convenient formats

Not every cup needs loose leaf and a proper pot. Ti Kuan Yin Teabags give that same Fujian oolong in individually wrapped bags, a practical option for a desk or for anyone not ready to commit to loose leaf yet. Oolong Iced Tea comes as whole leaf tea in cold brew pouches, each making a quart, and works for hot or cold brewing, which suits warmer months or anyone who wants iced tea without straining leaves out afterwards. Oolong Tea Samples pack twelve pre-measured portions of different oolongs into one box, useful for comparing styles or for gifting someone whose taste you aren't sure of yet.

How to choose

Oxidation level tells you more about the cup than anything else on the label. Lightly oxidised, jade style oolongs are pale, floral and closer to green tea, a gentler switch for someone who finds black tea too strong. Heavily oxidised, roasted styles like Da Hong Pao or Formosa Oolong sit closer to black tea and suit a fuller daily cup.

• Buying for a teabag drinker: a flavoured oolong or a teabag format is a familiar place to start.
• Buying for someone who already drinks loose leaf: a rare, single origin oolong gives them something new to sit with.
• Buying for iced tea season: cold brew pouches take the guesswork out of steeping.
• Not sure of their taste: a sampler with pre-measured portions lets them compare styles before you commit to a full size bag.

Questions people ask

Is oolong closer to green tea or black tea?

It depends on the style. Lightly oxidised jade oolongs sit closer to green tea, while heavily oxidised, roasted styles like Da Hong Pao sit closer to black tea. That range is really the point of oolong as a category.

Can the leaves be steeped more than once?

Many whole leaf oolongs, especially tightly rolled styles, are made to open up gradually and are often steeped several times. Follow the steeping guidance that comes with the specific tea for timing and water temperature.

What's the difference between a jade oolong and a roasted oolong?

Mainly oxidation and finishing. Jade style oolongs are lightly oxidised and left unroasted, so they stay pale and floral. Roasted oolongs, like Wuyi rock tea, are oxidised further and then roasted, which pushes the colour and flavour darker.

Is flavoured oolong still real oolong?

Yes. Flavoured versions like Peach Oolong or Coconut Pouchong start from an actual oolong base, usually a darker Taiwanese style, with fruit or other flavouring added on top of it.