Osmanthus Oolong

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Oolong Tea, Osmanthus
Flavors
Not available
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Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Low
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by sherapop
Average preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 45 sec 7 g 20 oz / 591 ml

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11 Tasting Notes View all

From The Tao of Tea

Native Name: Gui Hua Oolong

Origin: Guangdong, China

Introduction: Located in the northern part of Chaozhou, close to Guangdong’s border with Fujian Province, Phoenix Mountain is famous for its large, old growth tea trees and distinctive Fenghuang Dancong (Phoenix Select) Oolong tea. It is the highest peak in eastern Guangdong and the indigenous home of the She Ethnic Minority.

Gui Hua
Gui Hua (“gway hwah”) is the Chinese name for the fragrant osmanthus flower, which blossoms in the Phoenix Mountain area during tea season and is used in scenting this oolong.

Chaozhou Tea Culture
Chaozhou is the birthplace for the art of “Gongfu Cha”, the method used for brewing oolong tea throughout southeast China and Taiwan. Large amounts of leaf are skillfully brewed in a small teapot and the fragrant liquor sipped from tiny, thimble-sized cups.

Osmanthus Scenting
After plucking and withering, the tea is rolled sideways and pan-fired creating long, gently twisted, Fenghuang Dancong style leaf. In the final stages of processing, the leaves are baked with fresh osmanthus blossoms “heat-infusing” the tea with the flower’s fragrant essential oils.

Flavor Profile: A light, bright, sweet flavor and a fruity, floral aroma with hints of apple and apricot.

Ingredients: Oolong Tea Leaves.

Brewing Suggestions
180°F-200°F
1tsp/8oz
4minutes

About The Tao of Tea View company

Company description not available.

11 Tasting Notes

82
911 tasting notes

The Final Sipdown: Day 6
Decupboarding Total: 11

I had the steep time of Royal Phoenix Oolong stuck in my head so I might have massively underbrewed this. Oopsies. But I did end up going a little heavy on the leaf (just so I wouldn’t have to make a 4oz cup of this later today to finish this off) and I’m sure that helped things because this tea is really fantastic. It’s sweet and mildly grapey. There’s no astringency but a lot of sweetness, almost like the sweet/tart balance in a frozen grape more than a fresh one.

Unlike before, I’m not getting woodsy or honey but I am getting nectar. Grapey nectar. It’s pretty awesome. And gorgeous. As it cools, there’s a tiny tingle of astringency on the tip of my tongue and the frozen grape flavor begins to step back and the soft nectar flavor steps up. A little solid tasting something comes in, something like sweet bread? It’s fairly faint but adds a nice base note to balance the pretty.

I’m giving this last cup (yay for decupboarding!) a little points bump because this is now officially a tea I would pick up and park in my pantry. It’s a beautiful cup.
8.2g/12oz

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 45 sec
sophistre

Yay for that! Definitely going to try these parameters, because this sounds deeeelicious.

Auggy

It totally was! The second steep had a good bit more astringency and more of the ‘normal’ flavors but that first steep was accidental awesomeness.

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98
6768 tasting notes

Where have you been all my life?
Ahhhh! This is AMAZING!

I received a bit of this from LiberTEAs and I’m considering placing an order already!

This smells floral but also sweet and sugary and fruity! Almost like a combo of Apricots, Apples, and Grapes! LOVE the aroma of this!

There is a smooth-sweet taste and gentle floral notes on the tongue. A nice nutty/buttery aftertaste that makes me crave more!

A wonderful Oolong!

Batrachoid

I’ve been waiting four months for this to come back in stock. I’m starting to think they only make one batch a year. T_T

Peggie Bennett

I got this from Zen Tara Tea and I love it! Very sophisticated!

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358 tasting notes

This is my last new non-decaf. tea to try. Kind of sad. I think I will let myself order some new teas when I get done with my first 8 week class so that I can enjoy them on spring break. Only 8 weeks till new teas, hooray!

This one surprised me with how light and sweet it is. I notice apricot in the flavor, but the aftertaste is a sweet grape that lingers. This would be a nice cup to have on a hot summer afternoon, since it’s almost refreshing in its fruitiness. It’s certainly a nice tea to have on this cold and dreary morning. The upstairs of our house is always much warmer than the middle floor where the kitchen and living room is. I literally gasped when I walked downstairs today because it is freezing on our middle floor! Today is a day when the fireplace needs to be on all day long. :) Thank you, KiwiDelight for this wonderful sample!

-Dry blend has small clusters of green and brown rolled tea leaves and small white and yellow petals.
-Dry leaves smell lightly of fresh flowers. Tea liquor aroma is of sweet fruits.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium yellow color.
-Light fruity apricot flavor and finish. Sweet grapey floral aftertaste that lingers.
-Best with sweetener.
-Very good tea. Light sweet floral and fruit flavors with a soft hint of grapes.

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95
4843 tasting notes

OMG! This is good. I love Tao of Tea… have I said that yet? This Oolong is so good.

I can’t talk now.

Must enjoy tea.

LiberTEAS

subsequent infusions are also just as lovely! This tea is a winner!

Paul M Tracy

Did the osmanthus lean towards apricot or citrus for you?

CMT 雲 山 茶

Would be nice to try, but Tao of Tea has been sold out of it for like forever,

LiberTEAS

@Paul: It was more apricot for me. I didn’t get much of a citrus-y or tart edge to this at all. It was sweet and smooth and luscious.

Batrachoid

Ah! My tea shop and the site have been sold out for over two onths! Where/when did you get this?! It’s my whole family’s favorite oolong.

LiberTEAS

It was sent to me. :)

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85
1271 tasting notes

TY to ToiToi for a sample of this tea! Was nice to meet you at our Steepster meet!

OMG YUM! I ran this tea through my gaiwan and wow! It’s light and floral. The floral has this sunny citrus side to it, as well as a bit of sweetness. Second infusion the fruityness is mellowing out and I’m enjoying the wave of floral. The teeny yellow flowery Xs look very cute too!

Hmm, I may have to acquire more of this tea, or at least try another osmanthus oolong. Shoot, I’m supposed to be making dinner!

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C

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91
27 tasting notes

I bought tea advertised as “Osmanthus Oolong” by Tao of Tea, but the leaves I got are definitely a green oolong, not like the picture of the more deeply oxidized leaves! Mine are tightly rolled green leaves sprinkled with dainty little osmanthus flowers! I drink this pretty often since I got a big sack of it. I’m pretty relaxed about steeping times and temperature – I give the leaves a quick rinse to open them up, but then I use water that’s been boiled and has cooled off for a bit.

The first infusion, predictably, packs the most osmanthus flavor. The osmanthus combines with the oolong to create a bright apcricot inflected brew, with a sweet, fruity sparkling citrus quality and a lightly green floral tone. The apricot flavor reminds me more of dried than fresh apricot. It has a slightly astringent, sort of sour aftertaste, but that’s not necessarily a strike against it, as it seems in keeping with the fruity osmanthus flavor.

Subsequent infusions lose a lot of that sparkly quality and steer closer to the smoother, rounder flavor profile of a typical green oolong, but with a lingering fruity-floral finish. I usually get a good three or four infusions out of this tea before I move on! I like this tea in the mornings because of its refreshing, sunny flavor.

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9 tasting notes

look im a simple bitch its an easy tea i love this stuff

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87
19 tasting notes

At a dollar and a half per ounce for this heavenly brew, there is nothing to complain about. I’ve had Tao of tea before and never been disappointed. This oolong is floral, buttery and full. I can’t even think of how to best describe it yet; I’ll have to update this post once an impression sinks in. Its flavor lasts multiple infusions and is best drunk in a gaiwan. You could have this thing for dessert, no kidding!

Preparation
1 min, 15 sec

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76
15 tasting notes

This one surprised me. First time I brewed it, I didn’t like it at all – way too flowery – reminiscent of rose hips. Maybe a month later, I tried it again, and was very pleased. This is by far the most floral Oolong I’ve tried. You should really drink this one very hot, since the aroma and floral bouquet decay into a mundane, but never bitter cup of tea. Probably best Gongfu style.

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