Oolong question.

[Dustin] [Michael] Well, if you think of Bao Zhong as an Oolong at the bottom of the oxidation spectrum, another lovely tea also from Taiwan, but at the opposite end is Oriental Beauty/Formosa Oolong, these being one and the same. The sweet floral honey of this tea can be astounding. You're gonna love it. On the high roast side, we go to Fujian/Fukien where a traditional heavy roast provides a carmel sweetness and a strength quite different from those other two. Pan fired or charcoal fired makes a huge difference. "Medium" oxidation gives a peachiness, but *I* really think that must be hard to attain since so many makers produce it, and most fail. Nevertheless, a reputable vendor should have a good example. Jade Oolong, I believe, is also a very lightly oxidized Oolong, but not of the long twisty leaf type such as Bao Zhong. It produces more flower perhaps than Bao Zhong, which, to me, is characterized by the wonderous essence of cucumber flowers. Whatever you do, don't buy your Oolongs at Ten Ren; otherwise, the field is a good one. Strange to tell, there is more to say about Oolongs.

Best, Michael

One type of Chinese oolong are the Tieguanyin (TGY) oolongs. These are made in an almost infinite variety of styles, from lightly oxidised "jade" types to more heavily oxidised and roasted varieties. I've just taken a few steps down this road myself, but I seem to prefer the jade style - they have a lovely floral, sometimes fruity character. The better ones IMHO are delicate and complex; otherwise they become heavy and one-dimensional. This is also my criticism of the roasted ones also - the roasting seems to cook out the complexity, unless I just have not stumbled on a good one yet.

The other type I've just discovered is the Dancong oolongs. These beauties have, to my palate at least, a lovely spiciness (think nutmeg). I have two currently, one from Teaspring and the other from Jing Teashop. Both are delightful.

Lastly, try Darjeeling oolongs. On balance, I drink more Darjeeling than any other tea - the combination of fruit, floral and astringency is, for me, just about perfect. Darjeeling is cranky, I'll admit; keep the temperature below boiling and steep times under control. Once you've got the formula though, good ones deliver like no other.

Regards, Dean

All good advice in the realm of Oolongs from Michael and DPM, definitely enough to get you started on some new roads. I'll just add in my two cents, in that I would second the reccomendations of Oriental Beauty and Tieguanyin - I prefer the "jade" style lighter TGY's too - And I will add in a few wildcard picks: Osmanthus Oolong (better quality here makes a difference) which is an oolong "flavored" with the Osmanthus flower, Jasmine Oolong (bought it on a whim because it was cheap and it is great, about $5/lb. at Kam Man in NYC), Silver Blossom, and staples like Oolong Se Chung.

Oolongs are second to my heart behind greens, and it is an area of tea where the more you spend equals the better the tea holds true unfortunately :)

- Dominic

Are you looking at a systematic approach to this focus on Oolong? If you are serious about this, I would suggest you take the aristotlean approach.

First before you set out and test every oolong in the market, do some homework. Know your oolong background first.

Oolong is a tea from the Southern regions of China, broadly divided into 4 regions:

• Anxi, Fujian - also known as Southern Fujian
• Northern Fujian - of which Wuyi is a big part
• Guangdong, which is left of Fujian
• Taiwan

You have to know what types of 'signature' teas they produce in each of these 4 regions, then go ahead and drink the oolongs from each region, get a feel of their similarities and differences. There is no need for you to get the very best oolong at this point if money is a concern as you will be drinking lots of tea; your aim is to understand the teas from each region. When you are more experienced and discerning with the oolongs, then selective and go for the better ones.

You have tried Baozhong, next go for as many types of oolong as you can find from Taiwan...before you focus on the next region.

Have fun

Danny

A lot of great advice and information here. Thanks a lot fellas!

i will add my 2 cents from a " lady"

i woul follow the previous approach by region- i also enjoy bao zhong teas some providers

www.rishi-

Thank you for this advice Danny...I've been wondering myself how to go about oolongs in a more systematic way. So far I've only thought about how oxidised the leaf was but there is much more to it than that and that is where I was bogging down. Thanks!

Melinda

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20/06 17: snipped-for-privacy@krautworks.com

Hi Steven,

Here is my experience with Holy Mountain: I once bought a gaiwan from them that looked fine in their site picture. I plunked down around $25.00. The cobalt blue design was badly smudged, not in a way that could be considered artistic, but in a -- well -- smudgy sort of way. In answer to my question, they told me that this is the nature of hand made stuff. A short time later, I found the self-same gaiwan in Chinatown in Manhattan, NYC for around $3.00, only it was somewhat less smudged. That was my last HM purchase. This does not speak to the Oolong issue.

Shan Shui Teas in Washington, DC, and In Pursuit of Teas in Connecticut both have Oolongs well worthwhile. Silkroadteas (note the final "s") in California has a fine selection of Oolongs in a variety of styles, some of which are stunning. For them though, you need to leave the internet.

Michael