Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea
Where to Buy: Tea Ave
Tea Description:
Our Rose Oolong is a flower tea prepared using the ancient method, in which the tea absorbs the flower fragrance during the baking progress, producing a scented tea that’s aromatic and flavorful without using any additives or chemicals.
We blend our Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong with fresh Taiwanese roses to create an elegant flower tea that is both full-bodied and mellow, with rose petals lending delicate floral notes to a robust oolong body. Rose Oolong has a floral fragrance and a rich, sweet taste. Smooth and exhilarating. Dare we say a little bit like falling in love.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Rose Oolong from Tea Ave is a very ‘pretty’ oolong tea. I say PRETTY because it really DOES have rose petals IN the tea not just rose liquid flavoring. Another reason I’m impressed with the rose in this tea is because it’s incredibly FRESH. Many rose teas I have had in the past the actual rose petals go stale easily and quickly but Tea Ave must have something up their sleeves to keeping them prim and proper!
On to the leaves themselves, shall we? I must start off by saying the Tea Ave is very upfront about their tea profiles as it takes up a good amount of the packaging and product page on their online shop. I really like this about them and appreciate the time and transparency they show by doing so.
The Oolong they use in this rose flavored tea is an Ali Shan Jin Xuan originating from the Ali Shan Mountain Region of Nantou, Taiwan. These leaves are functional for about 4 sturdy infusions.
I found the flavor to be elegant, sweet, rich, and smooth all at the same time. The surprising feature was that it was thirst-quenching as opposed to other rose flavored teas. For this reason I continued with my ‘two thumbs up’ rating.
Oriental Beauty Oolong from Tea Ave.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea Ave
Tea Description:
Go ahead, search the world—you won’t find another tea quite like Oriental Beauty, the luxurious, highly prized oolong tea so exquisite that it made its way from Taiwan to Queen Elizabeth II, who gave it its name. Processed entirely by hand, Oriental Beauty is produced only once a year, during summer. Our Oriental Beauty grows in the Ping Ling area of Northern Taiwan, known for its breathtaking scenery. The perpetual mild climate and rolling fog makes the growing environment truly unique.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Tea Ave. is a fairly new company that I was fortunate enough to get to sampler prior to their official opening; while I really enjoyed each tea I got to sample there was only one I personally wanted to restock and so I waited for a good opportunity to place that order. Well, they recently announced a Summer Sale where you don’t pay for shipping, which was the perfect chance to place that small order! In addition to the tea I wanted to stock (Ginger Lily), I received a few samples of their other teas as well as a little bit of “swag” in the form of a reusable branded tote bag.
Obviously this is one of the extra samples I had received; while Tea Ave. does let you specify what you’d like to sample I left that field of the order form blank and so they chose for me. Two of three samples were new to me, and one a repeat – though as I’ve been pretty impressed with all of their teas I’ve tried (including this double) I’m far from disappointed about that. This sample came in sachet form, though not all three did. It’s the first time I’ve tried one of their blends in a sachet; I always have mixed feelings about teabags/sachets because I LOVE the convenience but think that most sachets don’t generally offer enough room for leaf expansion – which is definitely a bigger issue with oolong. Though in this case the sachet is very large, and that turned out to not be an issue at all.
I did two infusions of this tea, both turned out to taste very similar so I wont do a flavour summary for each like I tend to do when I steep the same tea several times. I thought the liquor was very light and gentle with an incredibly smooth and silky mouthfeel that made for really easy, calm sipping. The dominant note – though in this case dominant just means “most present” because nothing about this blend was harsh, was honey and it was the right level of sweet but natural and not cloying. Supporting notes were fresh picked Spring flowers, hay, and a soft, roasty note that reminded me of just barely toasted bread. I’d describe the overall combination as ‘ambrosia’.
I do think this was a little watery, and had it not tasted quite as diluted I’d be all over this blend – but it was incredibly pleasant for what it is as well, and a really nice balance between a greener, more vegetal oolong and a heavily roasted, mineral tasting more oxidized one.
Going back to the company itself, it’s definitely always very cool when companies go that extra mile by including samples and other goodies – just like when I received my sample package from Tea Ave. months ago, I continue to be impressed by this company’s branding, their teas, their customer service and now on top of that their quick shipping time! If you like oolong even a little I absolutely recommend giving them a chance and taking advantage of the current sale which is running throughout July.
Meishan Cing Xin High Mountain Spring Oolong Tea from Taiwan Tea Crafts
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Taiwan Tea Crafts
Tea Description:
Our Spring 2015 Cing Xin Oolong crop from Meishan comes from a well-established growing area which was one of the first to grow higher mountain teas in Chiayi County. Meishan sits between Shanlinxi up north, and Alishan further south and was one of the first high mountain tea growing areas to be developed in central Taiwan, well before Shanlinxi and Alishan. This Qing Xin Oolong has the typical green, crisp pastoral notes with hints of mountain flowers that charms the nose. The palate will immediately be pleased by the ample creamy texture and taste that evokes fresh buttered green beans with hints of sweetness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There must be something wrong with me. Some kind of chemical/spiritual imbalance, I’m sure. I used to drink oolongs by the gallons. It was pretty much the tea that I drank exclusively, aside from the occasional herbal or puerh. But I think something happened along my tea journey. I think I oolong’d myself out. If that is even possible. But each oolong that I have had lately has bored me, or rubbed me the wrong way. Either it’s the sign of the apocalypse, or my tastes are just changing with the seasons. I hope it’s the latter, I would like to drink down some of my tea stash before the world really ends.
Meishan Cing Xin High Mountain Spring Oolong Tea from Taiwan Tea Crafts is a mouthful to say, never mind type! I am hoping that this is the tea that will spark my interest in the tea that once held my heart. The leaves are tightly rolled, smooth and so fragrant I almost swoon. Almost. The dry leaf smells like milk and honey, jasmine blossoms and lilies. I was lazy, and not wanting to clean one of my gaiwans, or infuses, I just tossed a few pearls of oolong into the bottom of a mug. Leaves that do a lot of expanding perform so well grandpa style.
Watching the leaves unfold in my mug was nothing short of a spectacle. The aroma is promising, all the creamy, floral goodness wafts up to my nose. The deep gold liquor is thick and smooth, and the floral notes are strong with this one. There are short bursts of grassy notes, it’s got all of the flowers, stem and all. Later on in the steeps, the smooth buttery notes came out, sweeter than the steeps before. This is becoming a strong competitor in the campaign to turn me back on road to oolong! Throughout all the steeps, there was always something else to discover. I may be back on the path to oolong!
Red Jade Black Tea from Oollo Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Oollo Tea
Tea Description:
A perfect marriage between Burma Ashamu and Taiwanese wild tea. The long twisted whole leaves give distinct smooth raisin, date and cinnamon infusions with traces of peppermint.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Red Jade Black Tea from Oollo Tea is one of those teas that after taking my first sip, the sound that I uttered was “Mmm.” Not a lot of teas elicit that response from me. This one did.
The dry leaves are dark, chocolaty brown. They’ve been rolled lengthwise, producing a very long and wiry shape. Because of the long, curly composure of these leaves, it’s difficult to actually measure a bamboo scoop of the leaves into the basket of my Kati tumbler. So instead, I eyeballed it. Then I added 12 ounces of boiling water and let the tea steep for 3 minutes.
Now I have a cup of perfection!
I enjoy most tea types: Green, White, Black and if I’m going to be totally honest, I even enjoy most of the Pu-erh that I’ve encountered. I’ve enjoyed some of the variations and even the new varietal Purple teas. Oolong teas and Yellow teas are my favorites. But the tea type that I drink the most is Black tea. So, I guess I could amend my previous statement to say that black teas are my favorite, followed closely by Yellows and Oolongs.
And this tea from Oollo is a perfect example of why I love black tea so much. It has a rich, invigorating flavor but it doesn’t get all aggressive on me. Instead, it’s smooth and sweet. The description above is spot on with its comparison to raisin and date. That sugary sweetness that I’d taste if I were to bite into a raisin or a date, that’s the kind of sweetness I taste when I sip this tea. 
There are notes of gently warm spice and hints of rich malt. There is a slight intonation of cacao and a whisper of caramel. And the aftertaste delivers just a hint of minty taste, especially if I draw a breath of air over my palate just after I’ve finished a sip.
The tea is so wonderfully sweet but not so sweet that it becomes all about the sweet. There is a nice complexity to this. Lots of depth to the flavor. Those sugary sweet notes from the dried fruit are top notes, with a mid-note of warm spice. Undertones of caramel that mingle with notes of cacao. Every once in a while, I pick up on a hint of leather. A subtle note of plum comes in here and there. And every once in a while, I even pick up on a floral tone. It’s a wonderful cup with lots of layers of flavor to explore!
This tea is an absolute DELIGHT to sip. If you haven’t had the opportunity to try anything from Oollo Tea yet, I urge you to get to their website immediately and try some of their fantastic teas. And be sure to put this tea in your cart while you’re shopping. You’ll thank me later!
Baozhong Oolong Tea from Oollo Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Oollo Tea
Tea Description:
Grown in the serene mountainous terrain of Wenshan, Taiwan. The twisted leaves produce elegant lilac and vanilla fragrances while developing delicate sweet, floral notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I think I fell in love with this Baozhong Oolong Tea from Oollo Tea at first whiff! The aroma is so sweet and wonderfully floral – just as the description suggests, I smell lilac! I appreciate that while it has a strong floral aroma, it doesn’t come across as perfume-y. It smells more like the air that has been lightly scented by a gentle breeze that filters through a lilac bush. It smells so beautiful!
The brewed tea has a more subdued fragrance with warm vanilla notes and mere hints of the flower that I experienced with the dry leaf. The scent is still captivating. It invites me to take a sip – and I think I’ll do that!
LOVE! The flavor has delicate notes of flower and a strong top note of creamy vanilla. It’s so creamy and sweet – vaguely reminiscent of a milk Oolong but with a lighter taste and texture. This doesn’t feel overwhelmingly creamy the way a milk Oolong can. It’s light and refreshing as it washes over the palate.
In no time at all, my first cup (infusions 1 and 2) disappeared. Time to resteep!
With this second cup (infusions 3 and 4) I’m tasting a stronger floral presence than I experienced with the first cup. It’s still what I’d call a subtle flavor and it marries with the vanilla notes quite harmoniously. In the distance, I pick up on soft notes of vegetation – very soft! Like a whisper of a slightly earthy, grassy tone.
As I continue to sip, I pick up on some woody notes. Again, these are very subtle and they meld with the previously mentioned vegetal notes to create a somewhat “earthy” taste that offers a contrast to the creamy notes of vanilla and the sweet floral tones.
And just like the previous cup, this cup disappeared quickly – so I resteeped the leaves again to create my third cup (infusions 5 and 6) and I think that this cup might be my favorite of the three! The delectable vanilla notes have softened somewhat, allowing for more of the floral notes to be explored.
The tea remains subtle yet richly flavored and I think the reason I favor this cup over the other two is that the complexity here is much more profound. I can taste the layers of flavor because the vanilla notes have muted just enough so that these layers can actually be discovered. I still get that delicious vanilla flavor but now I’m tasting other notes too. I taste more of those woodsy notes and I love how these earthier notes marry with the notes of vanilla and the flowery tones.
An exceptional tea, this!
Everything about this tea is soft. The texture is soft and silky. The flavor is soft and it seems to lull you into this tremendous sense of comfort and luxury. Nothing aggressive or sharp to the taste of this tea.
I highly recommend this to all those who appreciate a beautiful, gently nuanced Oolong! You’re going to LOVE this tea!