Kiwi Lemon Oolong from Shanti Tea

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Shanti Tea

Product Description:

The strong flavour of oolong is cut by a zest of citrus. The combination of strong flavours balance each other well creating a unique experience for both new and old drinkers of oolong teas.

Taster’s Review:

While the tea market is seemingly saturated with flavored teas; coming across a flavored Oolong is still a bit of a rarity.  That is to say, there seem to be far fewer flavored Oolong teas than there are other tea types (with the exception of Yellow, Pu-erh and Darjeeling … there seem to be even fewer flavored versions of these types of tea)  So, I am very excited to be able to try this Kiwi Lemon Oolong from Shanti.

And this has to be one of my favorite flavored Oolong teas to date.  It is absolutely amazing!

The Oolong base is a darker Oolong, and it offers a background that is somewhat earthy and smoky, with a hint of cocoa flavor.  It has a slightly creamy texture to it; a very smooth, silky kind of mouthfeel.  While the flavors of the Oolong are not extraordinarily strong, they are prominent enough to shine through the stronger fruit notes, letting me know that this is TEA that I’m drinking, and not some fru-fru fancy-frilly fruit drink.

Lemon and kiwi are not two fruit flavors that I would have imagined combining, but they work together surprisingly well.  The lemon is the strongest flavor in this cup although it is not overwhelming.  It has a bright, sunny character.  It is sweet, a bit like lemon curd!  The sweet, smooth flavor of the kiwi is very complimentary to this sweeter side of the lemon.  The tartness of the lemon is more of a background flavor, arriving to the foreground just before the finish and lingering in the aftertaste.

The kiwi is a considerably softer flavor in comparison to the lemon notes, but, I like how it pops up here and there, making its presence known throughout the sip.  It provides a sweet flavor, almost melon-like.

While I generally prefer my Oolong teas to be served without additions, this is one Oolong that benefits from the addition of a little sweetener (I chose a drizzle of honey).  This really helps the fruit flavors POP … especially the kiwi notes.  It is still delicious without the honey, but it was more difficult to discern the kiwi flavors without it.

This one is a MUST TRY for flavored Oolong fans!

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