Milk Oolong

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Oolong Tea
Flavors
Butter, Butterscotch, Cream, Custard, Gardenias, Grass, Lemon, Lettuce, Milk, Mineral, Mint, Popcorn, Rice Pudding, Seaweed, Sugarcane, Tropical, Vanilla, Floral, Nutty, Bread, Caramel, Coconut, Creamy, Fruity, Toffee, Apricot, Mango, Smooth, Stonefruit, Sweet, Warm Grass, Orchid, Sweet, Vegetal, Rice, Strawberry, Tangy, Green, Sugar, Roasted, Toasted Rice, Bergamot, Candy, Dry Grass, Pineapple, Asparagus, Burnt Sugar, Peas, Brown Sugar, Cotton Candy, Flowers, Berries, Dried Fruit, Green Apple, Tart, Heavy, Peach, Astringent, Autumn Leaf Pile, Honeysuckle, Umami, Honey, Stewed Fruits, Fruit Tree Flowers, Yams
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Medium
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Cameron B.
Average preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 15 sec 5 g 9 oz / 262 ml

From Our Community

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334 Want it Want it

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147 Own it Own it

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142 Tasting Notes View all

  • “This is a free sample that I got from Garret when I ordered some of his wonderful Puers! Thanks Garret! There’s been a discussion on the quality of customer service & the personal treatment we...” Read full tasting note
  • “I need some Mandala love tonight! This natural milk oolong is phenomenal…pure candy. First, the dry smell is all pop corn and coconut milk. It doesn’t render that heavy dairy fragrance scented milk...” Read full tasting note
    93
  • “Lighter teas and I still have a very tentative accord. I like them…sometimes but there are a few that I just love so much. This is one of them. It’s creamy, nutty, buttery and caramelly. And...” Read full tasting note
    98
  • “Wow. I’ve only had one other milk oolong but this one just puts it to shame, no contest. I’ve been brewing it gongfu cha style and I’m on the 6th steep but it keeps on giving. The last milk oolong...” Read full tasting note
    97

From Mandala Tea

We are so excited about this tea and judging by the repeat buys, our customers are too! It possesses a creamy aroma with hints of coconut, hard toffee candy along with the classic floral undertone present in so many high-end Taiwanese oolongs. The producers aromatize high quality leaves from plants that grow in altitudes between 1,600 and 3,200 feet above sea level.

The Fall 2015 crop delivers the dessert-like notes in early infusions and a beautiful, balanced cup. In later steepings aromas of lilac and gardenia begin to move more forward. Production is an artform and those who create it are quite guarded about proprietary steps in processing. Through many tastings, our appreciation for their craft only increases. No “off” aromas and not a trace of artificial or chemical flavor. It is a wonderfully complex tea, sure to please most any tea drinker. And if they weren’t a tea drinker to begin with, they will be after trying this!

We highly recommend doing one rinse of 5-10 seconds (at 195 degrees) and then beginning with 15-20 second infusions for a bit before slowly increasing steeping time. It is not unusual to get 10 to 15 steepings out of this tea when prepared gongfu cha style.

About Mandala Tea View company

Company description not available.

142 Tasting Notes

3294 tasting notes

This is a free sample that I got from Garret when I ordered some of his wonderful Puers! Thanks Garret! There’s been a discussion on the quality of customer service & the personal treatment we get from some of the tea companies, & Garret is definitely one of the people on the top of that list, in my mind. I’ve only ordered from him once (so far), but I can tell that he’s good people. One of the things I love about Steepster is all of the good people, sippers & sellers alike.

I’m not a huge oolong fan. I admit it. I was at one time, & a cup here or there is delightful, but then it seems to become redundant. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s the way I roll! I’ve avoided milk oolong, because apparently some companies actually spike it with milk (?), or so I’ve been told. Since I’m allergic, when in doubt, don’t drink the water (or the tea)!

Of course, this tea is pure tea. Dry, it smells wonderful! Like a sweet flan. I warmed the leaf in my preheated Gaiwan, & the aroma blossomed into flan with flambeed brown sugar & toasted coconut on top. There was also a bright fruity aroma that I just couldn’t pinpoint.

Did I drink the 10 second rinse? Well, hell yeah! It tasted like movie theater butter popcorn with a light Mango brightness. Nice!
The wet leaf smells of that buttery sugary flan, with pureed mango drizzle. I can’t believe how sugary sweet this tea smells, both wet & dry.

Over the next several steepings the movie theater popcorn gave way to floral greens, a thick throat feel, & a delightful tingle on the tip of my tongue. I have a lot of houseplant, on all 3 floors, so for the last hour or so, I’ve been alternating between watering plants & drinking cups of tea. I watered everything in the sun room (there are pink flowers!), then sat for a few cups & relaxed. Then it was the rest of the downstairs plants, a few more cups of tea, etc. During that time a coconut flavor has emerged, the butterness is back, but in the back of my throat, lingering. The tingliness & thickness has embodied more of my tongue. It’s all very nice.

Will I buy this tea? Probably not. The quality is wonderful, & it is tasty, & although I like the novelty of an excellent oolong here & there, I wouldn’t want to drink it every day.

TeaRunner

Mandala Milk Oolong goes right on my shopping list.
So true about Garret.
Great teas, great personal shopping experience – what’s not to like?

Sil

I’m looking forward to the first time i get to order from Garret with all the great things people have said about him!

Garret

awww…. you are all so sweet! This thread just changed my day for the better! We are here meeting all day about our new shop, bogged down in details and then I read this and once again, the hard work is all made so very worth it. Thank you all so much! Let me know if there is anything I can help with!!

TeaBrat

I want some! :)

Claire

Garret, you are good peoples! I love our little email conversations.

Agahi90.ir

I agree thanks
Agahi90.iR

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93
359 tasting notes

I need some Mandala love tonight!

This natural milk oolong is phenomenal…pure candy.

First, the dry smell is all pop corn and coconut milk. It doesn’t render that heavy dairy fragrance scented milk oolong often have, this is all natural goodness.

The first three steeps (gongfu style) are cotton candy and piña colada like, creamy and slightly fruity. The richness and sweetness really dominate.

Later, it morphs into a more floral green oolong, presenting lilac and orchid notes.

A fresh minty camphor taste is also present, slowly developing. It has lost some of its sweetness, which is a good thing, cause as you persevere into many short steeps, heavy and sweet would be just too much.

The taste lingers and lingers…

It’s making me really happy :-)

When I’m all done, I will put the spent leaves in a mason jar and cold steep in the fridge for 12 hours. Yep, this tea has a lot to give!

Ost

That sounds amazing!

Sami Kelsh

This is SO going on my Mandala order when I’m on my next tea-purchasing binge. Wowzers.

TheTeaFairy

Ost and Sami, you won’t regret having this one, it is now my favourite milk oolong, by far.

Cheri

This is such a nice tea.

Garret

Mandala love is always coming your way, TF!

TheTeaFairy

Aww, right back at you and your amazing teas Garret :-)

TheTeaFairy

Oh, and I’m filling up a cart of goodness right now, will email you for shipping when I’m done…yummy!!

Frolic

Ok I had to make a cup for myself, you inspired me. It’s one of my staples and always makes me happy.

cincin090

Man really want this now!

TheTeaFairy

Well cincin090, you should consider trying this one, it’s almost like having tea candy! (And Mandala is one of my favourite seller!!)

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98
97 tasting notes

Lighter teas and I still have a very tentative accord. I like them…sometimes but there are a few that I just love so much. This is one of them. It’s creamy, nutty, buttery and caramelly. And perfect. The final steeps were a bit iffy this time around though. I was hit in the face with floral notes that came out of nowhere and it wasn’t terrible but it made me miss the earlier steeps. I need to get more of this because this was my last bit and I am sad. I also have to order from Mandala again because I haven’t ordered tea in a long time.

Flavors: Butter, Caramel, Cream, Flowers

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 2 OZ / 59 ML
Sil

Hahaha missed you lady!

graceatblb

Aww missed you too. Have been lurking around Steepster having tea envy. I’ve also fallen off the coffee wagon—I discovered the wonder that is Tim Hortons and all hope was lost.

Sil

Ewwwwwwwww lol

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97
172 tasting notes

Wow. I’ve only had one other milk oolong but this one just puts it to shame, no contest. I’ve been brewing it gongfu cha style and I’m on the 6th steep but it keeps on giving.

The last milk oolong I had tasted more like a tie guan yin with heavy florals and not so much creaminess, but this one possesses an extremely rich sweet cream scent and flavor. I would almost swear it was flavored if I didn’t know better. There are also notes of spinach and mint. This tea feels like a sublime dessert.

Thanks for the sample, Garret.

Garret

I am so pleased that you dug it, my friend! We just got done doing 4 days at a music festival of brewing in excess of 100 gallons of tea and having a non-stop tea bar going! The Milk Oolong was incredibly popular there!! Salud, my friend!!

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98
6768 tasting notes

This is one of the BEST Milk Oolongs I have ever had. Everything seems to be going right for this milk oolong and it offers a little something extra that others seemed to have been lacking (and I didn’t even know it until I had this one, it seems!)

It’s creamy and buttery, mostly, but it DOES have slight sweet and buttery grass notes and a spec of natural saltiness, too! There are hints of coconut, flowers, and maybe even celery. It’s very clean and lovely!

It’s also pretty apparent it wants me to do multiple infusions…so…I’m going to listen to my tea leaves and do that :)

Wonderful!

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90
14974 tasting notes

sipdown! Garrett sent this along as a free sample when i placed my first order from Mandala. As it’s an oolong, i didn’t want it sitting around too long so i opted to drink it down asap. Additionally, the bags that mandala use for their samples are perfect for using to split off the 52 teas that kittenna and i jointly purchased lol Heavy duty sample bags to prevent contamination for the win!

I almost thought about passing this one off to kittenna or raritea as they seem to prefer milk oolongs but figured if i’m going to try all the teas, i better get cracking! This is fantastic! All i can say is that the girls here should order some from mandala because i think they might like it. It’s nothing like slaone’s milk oololng, which i recall kittenna not liking as much…it’s fresh and creamy and i can understand that toffee sense from the description. I’m going to have to resteep this a bit today, which of course will slow down my cupboard progress but this is totally worth it. thank you garret!!

Oolong Owl

DROOOL Milk Oolong is amazing! Soo gooood!

Terri HarpLady

I also have a sample of this one, which I brought with me to Tony’s to drink today. Not sure if I’ll get a chance, as we’re going to a get together at one of his friend’s houses in a few minutes, but maybe after we get home…we’ll see!

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99
134 tasting notes

Oh My… I’ve been spending the past hour brewing multiple infusions of a little sample bag that was included with my first order from Mandala Tea. It said simply, “Milk Oolong” so I really had no idea what joy was in store. I had not read anything about it, had simply eyed the nice dark green rolled leaves, smelled the aroma of sweet grass, and thought I would use my little 100 ml glass oolong pot to do a quick tasting.

1st steep: quick 5 second rinse of the leaves, followed by 205 F water for 25 seconds. Nice Green/Gold infusion. Aroma is pure melted butter, with just a hint of coconut. Wow! Not super sweet, but just a pleasing creamy feeling in my mouth. And an aftertaste of passion fruit?

Ok, I am fascinated. I go for a second steep, thinking this is just a really nice Taiwan style oolong.

2nd steep: 205 F for 40 seconds. Big change! The color is now pure gold, no green. Aroma: butter, coconut and a hint more of floral tones. The flavor is even more intense. There is still that buttery creaminess, but the coconut is even more prominent, and I definitely taste tropical fruits at the sides of my mouth.

I am so impressed, I go to Mandala tea’s website to see what it is I am drinking. Sure enough, this is one great quality tea, and the flavor profiles match pretty close to what I was tasting. I start looking for the other flavors described in the next few steepings, and I have to say I am really pleased. This one is definitely going on my shopping list!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec
TeaBrat

It sounds great! Do you know if it is natural or flavor enhanced?

E Alexander Gerster

Oh this flavor must be natural. It comes from some very talented Tea Master that has paid attention to every step of growing and processing for maximum flavor. It is truly an art… :)

Garret

Hello friends! The tea is not scented nor is anything added. It is the certain temperature, altitude, soil conditions which yield this gem. From what I understand from my source for this, there is certainly skill in the processing which also helps :) When I sit with this tea, I typically start with 10 to 15 second steepings for the first 5 or 6 infusions and slowly increase from there.

Alex, thank you. I am so happy that you enjoyed this. It is certainly a hit with us and our customers/friends.

Charles Thomas Draper

I have not tried a Milk Oolong. This sounds superb…..

TeaBrat

Sounds good!

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127 tasting notes

Sample sipdown – FAIL!
Had a sample of this that smelled SOOO good. I thought it’d be a good one to drink now, as I’m highly stressed and milk oolongs always seem to comfort me (they’re just so creamy and delicious!).

Unfortunately I oversteeped it. =(
It smelled nice and creamy, with the vegetal notes poking through here or there. Taste-wise, though, I was just getting bitterness with slight hints of vegetal/earthy oolong.

This is on my list of teas to buy. I think this one would’ve been really awesome.

Leave it to me to mess up a sample serving… sigh

Sil

doh! i feel your pain!

Fjellrev

Don’t beat yourself up!

Emily M

Incendiare – I just really wanted this one…haha. Oh well. Now there’s an excuse for me to buy it!

Garret

Emily… i didn’t really want to LIKE this note… i just wanted to acknowledge that I had read it. It’s a great tea. I typically do a first steeping of 20 seconds and hold that at that time for the first 4 or 5 steeps and slowly increase from there. When I’m just sitting with this tea doing gong fu, I usually do between 10 and 15 infusions. It’s great stuff. We need to get you some more!!

Sil

Really looking forward to being able to place an order with mandala once i get some more practice in with my gaiwan and get some teas out of my cupboard lol i think i might try this one…even though i dislike oolongs haha

I’ll be waiting for your review once you get some more Emily heh

Emily M

Garret – I just let myself get distracted. Silly of me, really. Thanks for the info. I will most certainly be getting more. I love Milk Oolongs!

Sil – Dislike oolongs!? What!? =P
Well hopefully if you decide to try it you’ll like this one. I’ll write a review as soon as I can get a hold of more – at the moment my tea stash is about ready to bury me!

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95
1271 tasting notes

Oolong Week at Oolong Owl!

Mandala’s Milk Oolong? A M A Z I N G

The smell of this tea is like caramel candy! Taste? thick caramel, buttery peas, vanilla buttercream and the perfect sweetness. In later infusions, there is some sunny floral and fresh grassy notes. In the final infusions, mango notes. Love it!

The leaves expand to crazy huge sizes too! Impressive quality tea!

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl, http://oolongowl.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/milk-oolong-tea-from-mandala-tea-tea-review/

Owl Photobomb Crew?

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C
Dinosara

Ooh, I gotta try this one sometime. It sounds awesome!

Fjellrev

Wow, it sure does.

TeaBrat

I need to try it too!

Toast

The photo of the leaves on your review alone would make me want to try this.

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1113 tasting notes

I’ve been drinking this one all day. Very, very nice! I love a good creamy, vegetal oolong :)

Thanks again to kimquat for the wonderful Mandala swap package. I know exactly what I’m going to be ordering now! :D

Now I just have to wait a couple weeks for my big fall art fair so I have TEA MONIES! WOOT

Mirabelka

as you wrote: creemy & great :)

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