"I personally found little enjoyment in this tea, primarily because it just tasted too much like a green tea, and an astringent and bitter one at that." Vanessa’s Teaview: 4/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

I am a huge fan of oolong tea, so the prospect of trying new varieties always makes me happy. This morning, I decided to break open my sample of Jumbolink International’s Gold Carbon Cultivate oolong. I have never heard of Jumbolink International before, and after some extensive Google searching, I learned that they are (or at least they claim to be) one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of tea from Taiwan. The Jumbolink International site says of their Gold oolong tea: “Jumbolink provide a special 6 years Oolong tea and a truly epicurean tea, this top grade oolong is comprised only of whole leaves which have been partially fermented to the exact point at which the rich floral notes and heady melon fragrance are developed. Once you have tried our special Oolong tea you will be amazed that it is not more widely available or more loudly praised.” The website says nothing about the Carbon Cultivate aspect of this tea’s name, and a little more googling turned out nothing to explain this, so I can’t really describe what exactly the “Carbon Cultivate” means, or how this differs from the standard gold oolong tea. I will have to let my taste buds and nose guide me through the rest of this review. Upon the initial whiff of my sample of the tea, I had two impressions: vegetal and smoky. This was just about as close to a green tea as an oolong can get. In fact, based on smell alone, I would have bet money that this was a green tea. The tea leaves appear as large nuggets and just a small amount of these leaves will definitely go a long way. I used a little over a teaspoon of leaves in my infuser, and after just a couple of minutes, the leaves had opened up to just about take over the entire teapot. Throughout the infusion process, I noted a strong earthy smell, which again, seemed more characteristic of a green tea than an oolong. I couldn’t really get much of the floral notes I expect of an oolong because the green/grassy smell was overwhelming. The aroma of the brewing leaves was a good precursor to the taste of the tea. I personally found little enjoyment in this tea, primarily because it just tasted too much like a green tea, and an astringent and bitter one at that. Normally, I am not opposed to green teas, but seeing as I was in the mood for an oolong and this was labeled as an oolong, I was expecting a tea with a little more, well, oolong flavor. Instead, I got a a vegetal and slightly bitter mouthful. And I can’t help but comment that there was a bit of an “earthiness” beyond what could be considered enjoyable; the earthiness crossed the line from vegetal to dirt-like and I found this quite off-putting. As in the dry leaves, there was also a faint hint of some smokiness. The smokiness is nowhere near as intense as what is found in a Lapsang Souchong, but when combined with the dirt-like flavor, was equally unappealing to me. I simply couldn’t bring myself to drink more than a few sips, and after a while, even the aroma of the the tea was a huge turnoff. I really hate giving completely negative reviews, and usually try to find something redeeming about every tea I drink. So I will say that perhaps if you are a big fan of really authentic (read here: vegetal/grassy/springy/earthy) green teas, then maybe this oolong will win you over. However, keep in mind that if you are expecting the light floral and/or nutty notes found in most oolongs, you better look elsewhere.

— To purchase Jumbolink International’s Gold Carbon Cultivate Oolong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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