Oolong tea is a unique varietal with a fun and varied history. The rumored and fabled origins of Oolong tea span three different "theories" which are worth the time to research for some fun facts. There are also abundant health benefits with this variety of tea (as with most).

Mighty Leaf's Jade Oolong tea is a pricey yet rewarding variety of straight-up Oolong tea from a small co-op farm in China's Anxi province. It is lightly oxidized, thus lending to its floral character. In its dried form, this tea, as with other Oolongs, is charming yet rustic in its presentation - small rolled balls of leaves mixed with some rolled leaves and some powdered remnants. While brewing, the leaves gently unfurl into a veritable forest of dangling foliage in your cup - making it one of the most interesting varieties of tea to watch as it brews.

Traditionally, Oolong tea should be brewed strongly for an extra kick of bitterness that gives way to sweet aftertaste. I tended to a brew that ranged in the low 200's temperature-wise, lasting about 4 minutes. The resultant liquor is a golden color, and the aroma remains floral, yet with sweet notes as well. Taste-wise, it initially has a slight bitterness, similar to that of most green teas I've encountered. This gives way to a less-intense bite as it cools and becomes more complex with temperature variations. With each sip, the finish is sweeter on the palette than the initial bite. This is a fairly complex tea that varies subtly with each cup.

Overall, this is a pleasant tea with some nice complexities. I'm not sure it's worth the hefty price tag, but then again, a little tea goes a long way due to the unfolding characteristics of the larger leaves, and several brewings result in varied takes on its unique flavor. Mighty Leaf is a great brand that I have enjoyed for some time now, but this is probably not their most notable offering.

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Dan Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Dan's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Dan.

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