Medical Advice Disclaimer:

“Health and wellness are personal journeys! This post is based on general information and personal insights—not professional medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for guidance specific to your needs.”

Why Oolong Tea is the Perfect Balance Between Green and Black Teas

Ever wondered what makes oolong tea so special? Nestled between green and black teas, oolong offers a world of flavor variations—from floral and fresh to deep and roasted. Whether you’re a seasoned tea drinker or new to loose-leaf teas, there’s an oolong waiting to surprise you

Flavor Profile:

Oolong tea offers an incredible range of flavors, from delicate florals to rich, roasted depths. Here are some notes you may encounter in your cup:

Aromatics & Light Notes

• Floral: Orchids, jasmine flowers, magnolias, gardenia, osmanthus, lilac
• Honeyed: Honey, nectar
• Fruity & Fresh: Peach, apricot, melon, citrus zest

Mellow & Textured Notes

• Buttery & Milky: Buttery, milky, creamy
• Nutty & Toasted: Nutty, toasted, malted, chestnut, almond
• Earthy & Mineral: Minerals, wet stone, petrichor (the scent of rain on dry earth)

Warm & Savory Notes

• Spiced: Cinnamon, clove, ginger
• Vegetal & Brothy: Vegetal, brothy, savory, seaweed, spinach, roasted grains

Deep & Intense Notes

• Aged & Dried: Dried fruit, raisins, rum, fig, date
• Smoky & Roasted: Smokey, charcoal, caramelized sugar, roasted barley, cacao

Additional Oolong-Specific Notes

• Tropical & Exotic: Coconut, pineapple (found in some greener, high-mountain oolongs)
• Woodsy & Herbal: Sandalwood, pine
• Sweet & Dessert-Like: Vanilla, brown sugar

As you can see, oolong teas span an impressive range of sensory experiences, making it an excellent choice for long-time tea lovers and anyone interested in broadening their tea horizons.

Health Benefits:

Relaxation:

Drinking oolong tea is a fantastic way to relax. It marks an excellent occasion to take a few minutes and sip on a pleasant brew. The act of preparing and drinking tea can be a relaxing ritual on its own, and can serve as a reminder to take a mindfulness break in your day. Then, the pleasant flavor and aroma profiles accompany your relaxation perfectly.

Antioxidants:

Tea is naturally high in antioxidants, which help to neutralize free radicals that promote chronic disease. Drinking tea is an excellent way to alleviate oxidative stress in your body, promoting overall well-being.

Caffeine Benefits:

A cup of oolong tea provides gentle stimulation compared to coffee, due to its lower caffeine content and presence of L-theanine. This gives you enhanced focus and raises your metabolism. It’s also less likely to give you a caffeine crash afterward.

L-theanine:

L-theanine synergizes with caffeine to improve focus and mental clarity while avoiding overstimulation or anxiety. It’s a great stress reliever that also sharpens focus, making tea a uniquely relaxing yet balanced choice.

Craftsmanship:

Our teas are sourced from artisan tea estates whose families have been producing quality teas for hundreds of years. They take great care to produce world-class teas. Here are some areas where their expert craftsmanship shows:

Selective Hand-Picking:

Skilled tea-pluckers carefully harvest only the youngest and tenderest leaves, 2-3 leaves and a bud, depending on the tea being produced.

Careful Withering:

After careful hand-picking, the tea leaves rest on traditional bamboo racks, allowing the mountain air to naturally bring out their delicate flavors.

Masterful Oxidation:

The high-mountain climate offers several advantages for getting the desired oxidation level. Cooler air slows down the enzymes that oxidize the tea. There is also slightly less oxygen in the air, which further slows oxidation. This gives the tea masters lots of control over the oxidation process, so they can achieve the desired flavor and scent profiles.

Skilled Rolling:

Our partner tea estates hand roll the leaves to achieve the desired final shape and release the leaves’ essential oils, while preserving the integrity of the leaf.

Firing and Drying:

Heat must be applied to stop the oxidation process. Some of our teas are still processed using ancient methods of charcoal firing, giving the tea subtle smokey depth. While others are processed with more modern equipment—like convection ovens, pan-firing, or standard baking—giving a cleaner, more uniform finish.

Small Batch Production:

These limited batches give the tea master even greater control over the final product. This ensures that every batch is crafted with maximum care and attention to every detail at every stage of the process, ensuring supreme quality.

Why High Mountain Tea:

What makes mountain grown oolong teas so special? The mountains offer a unique growing climate that is simply not available in lower elevations. Teas grown at high elevations are often more prized for their complexity and depth of flavor. This is because the mountain air provides several distinct advantages:

• Cooler air and lower oxygen: slows the oxidation phase.
• Slower tea growth: more nutrient dense and flavorful tea leaves.
• Longer processing time: greater precision in making tea batches.

These unique growing conditions provide the perfect growing and processing conditions for superior quality teas—that’s the mountain advantage.

Experience the Balance for Yourself.

Ready to experience the rich, complex world of oolong tea? Discover handpicked, high-mountain oolongs delivered straight to your door with our exclusive Oolong Subscription Box. Whether you’re new to tea or a longtime connoisseur, this is your gateway to the finest small-batch oolongs. Learn More