Oolong Tea Types

By Gayot Editors

A traditional Chinese tea made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, oolong is similar in taste to green tea, though not quite as grassy, yielding bitter qualities with a sweet aftertaste. Oolong ranges from 10 percent to 70 percent oxidation.

Alishan

This Taiwanese tea comes from large, rolled leaves with a purple-green appearance. It produces a sweet, golden yellow brew with a unique fruity aroma.

Bai Ji Guan

Named, according to legend, after a heroic rooster, this tea has yellowish leaves and a very light taste which distinguish it from other Wuyi Oolongs.

Cold Summit

An Oolong from Taiwan with an aftertaste that evokes the flavors of honeydew melon.

Da Hong Pao

A legendary tea from Mount Wuyi in the Fujian Province of China. As the story goes, the mother of a Tang Dynasty emperor was cured by a tea made from the leaves of four bushes. These bushes still survive today; only a few kilograms of Da Hong Pao are produced from them each year. The tea sells for thousands of dollars a kilogram, ensuring that it is usually reserved for honored guests.

Eastern Beauty

A sweet-tasting Taiwanese tea that brews to a bright red-orange.

Iron Guanyin

A premium Chinese Oolong, Iron Guanyin’s “Jade” harvest produces a prized berry-like taste and aroma.

Pouchong

In many ways characteristic of booth green and Oolong teas, Pouchong has a mild melon-y taste, and is popular in scented teas, especially in combination with rose.

Rou Gui

This spicy dark tea takes its name from the Chinese word for cinnamon.

Shui Hsien

A very dark Oolong with a heavy honey fragrance and a slightly burnt taste.

Shui Jin Gui

Shui Jin Gui got its name, which means “Golden Marine Turtle,” because it steeps to a very bright green. It is lighter than most Wuyi teas.