General Oolong Question

To me, oolong is one of the broadest categories of tea. The possibilities are endless, since the degree and type of roasting can vary greatly, and the degree of oxidation can be pretty much anything from near-zero (like the style that's currently in vogue for gaoshan oolongs and mainland Tieguanyin) to almost completely oxidized (like Oriental Beauty).

Some Chinese restaurants serve oolong teas of various sorts (though in my experience, these days it's more often scented tea in teabags). So it's not surprising that some oolongs you've tried taste similar, but I guess it depends what you mean by that. Certainly there are oolongs out there that are much *better* than what you will typically find in any restaurant, even if you're lucky enough to go to a restaurant which serves loose-leaf tea at all.

Also, the *way* that you brew them matters; if you brew them western style, in a large pot with a small amount of tea leaf, the taste will often become more and more generic, though also less unpleasant if the tea isn't great quality.

I would suggest first finding some representative examples of different genres of oolong (some US vendors I would recommend... Tea Habitat [disclaimer, the owner is a friend] here in LA (for exellent Dancong), Floating Leaves in Seattle (for greener and medium Taiwanese oolongs), Hou De in Houston (for Taiwanese oolongs as well as for Wuyi yancha when he has them in stock), Tea Gallery in NYC (for mainland oolongs with more traditional processing and heavier fire). Then try brewing them in a small gaiwan or teapot, using a lot of leaf, and boiling or just-off-boil water. Then see if you still think that they taste like "Chinese restaurant tea", whatever that means.

Generic Chinese restaurants usually serve the lowest possible grade of oolong tea, often the Foojoy stuff that comes in the 25 lb bags. A good oolong will have more of that and less of the dishwater flavour that comes with it.

--scott

"Chinese restaurant tea" was not meant to be an insult, just a general way to describe the flavor based on my limited knowledge. I appreciate the suggestions and will hunt down some oolongs to try.

Ed