On Oct 28, 1:42*pm, Ed > wrote:
> Do oolongs generally have the flavor of Chinese restaurant tea? *The
> two that I have tried are both pleasant, but that is what they remind
> me of.
>
> Thanks-
> Ed

I find that oolongs break down into the more roasted/darker restaurant
tea style and the greener/floral ones. There are others to be sure,
but this is a general breakdown. The greener oolongs will often be
"fisted" which means they look like round pearl-shaped spheres, again
just generalizing because there are green oolongs available in the
longer leaf form too. Tie Guan Yin (Tie Kuan Yin, TGY/TKY, Iron
Goddess of Mercy) are greener and might be a good contrast to compare
with.

The greener oolongs start to approach the darker ones as the roasting
increases and the first few steeps will be less floral but eventually
it normally gives way to a slight floral note. The darker oolongs
continue on to darker roasts which become more rasiny/tobacco/
chocolate.

There are some oolongs that exhibit citrusy notes and some that are
very fruity, the classification covers a wide array. There has been a
trend toward much greener oolongs being produced and less of the
really heavy roasted ones, I prefer the darker heavy roasted non-
floral ones myself. Oh, and many Chinese restaurants serve some form
of oolong as their house tea so that would be why it tastes like it

- Dominic