From Garden to Cup: A Short Introduction to Picking the Perfect Oolong (Blue) Tea for your Palate

While we have over 800 teas at the TWG Tea store, teas originating from leaves can fit into at least one of six different types, including Green tea, Oolong (Blue) tea, Yellow tea, White tea, Red (Rooibos) tea and Black tea. We at TWG Tea are here to support you in selecting an Oolong tea that aligns with your taste palate.

The taste, scent and colour of your favourite tea is influenced by oxidisation – the tea leaf’s exposure to oxygen upon picking. Oolong tea is semi-fermented and combines the fresh fragrance of green tea along with the rich and aromatic complexity of black tea.

How is Oolong tea produced?

Oolong tea is originally a speciality in Southern China. To produce Oolong tea, leaves are left to wither till they lose about two-thirds of their water content after being picked from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. After this, the leaves are typically bruised to facilitate oxidisation for about an hour or two.

The percentage of oxidisation impacts the prevalence of floral and caramel notes with lighter oxidisation creating more fruity notes and higher oxidisation resulting in more roasted notes.

For example, TWG Tea’s Blue Cloud Tea is a very lightly oxidised Oolong tea that exudes an aroma of ripe apricots and infuse into a mild cup. Whereas our Maori Spring Tea yields an compelling fragrance of unburnt tobacco with rich flavours that are dry on the tongue and lingering on the palate.

The decision on when to stop oxidisation can vary as it can often depend on tea masters who check the scent of the tea before proceeding to the next step of pan-firing, followed by shaping the leaves into twisted, curled, or balled shapes.

Matching different Oolong teas to your preferred tasting notes

If you’re someone who prefers the smooth and earthy tastes of higher oxidisation, you might like to try TWG Tea’s Grand Oolong Fancy, which is a composition of Formosa Oolongs considered amongst the finest and most distinguished in the world.

To pair your Oolong with a sweet afternoon snack, our Milk Oolong makes the perfect companion to scones and pastries with its subtle milky and toasted notes. Meanwhile, our Da Hong Pao is a powerful blue tea that boasts dark and twisted leaves, which produce a full-bodied infusion with flowery notes.

While this is just a small introduction to Oolong tea, browse through our website and store to experiment with your combination of flavour notes!