At first glance, there is a tendency to dismiss the osmanthus oolong as a run-of-the-mill blend. Certainly you can’t miss the golden petals that stand out from the darker ball-shaped dry leaves.
More often than not, blends with non-tea leaves are often made from lower quality tea leaves with more fragrant flowers or herbs used to mask the deficiencies of the tea.
For example, unless it’s a reliable source, I would advise against buying Puer blended with flowers, since it’s usually used to hide the moldy taste of poorly stored tea.
On the other hand the osmanthus oolong bucks this trend. The base used is not some cheap Sezhong (e.g. Benshan or Maoxie) but none other than the best known Anxi oolong of all- Tieguanyin. While the grade of Tieguanyin ranges, traditionally Osmanthus Oolong is used with mid-high grade oolong.
Scented not Blended
Unlike jasmine tea, the scenting process is not repeated and the leaves and petals are baked together. Before sale, the osmanthus petals are removed leaving only approximately 5% of osmanthus which is largely for ornamental purposes.
As the Tieguanyin is roasted, it doesn’t absorb as much of the fragrance as baked-dry green tea, as in the case of jasmine tea for example. But that as you will see later is actually part of its draw.
A Scented Tea for Purists
Scented teas are considered more of a beginner’s tea in general, since new tea drinkers often focus more on aroma then taste as compared to mouth feel and after taste.
However the osmanthus oolong differs in that it has appeal to purist and longtime tea drinkers.
To understand this, it has to do with one’s constitution and the TCM nature of tea as well as osmanthus.
Tieguanyin is generally considered ‘cold’ in TCM nomenclature. That means over-consumption would cause pain to our digestive tract.
Unfortunately as Tieguanyin lovers would attest, not only is it impossible to cut down consumption of it, as the years (and pots) roll by, one tends to add more leaves to each pot, enjoying an increasingly thicker brew.
An On-going Tug of War
Part of the fun of osmanthus oolong is watching the interplay between its 2 components. In the first 2 brews especially, the osmanthus fragrance tends to shine through more, adding a dimension of bitter to the sweet and sour Tieguanyin.
From the 3rd brew onwards, the osmanthus taste starts to fade but the Tieguanyin taste dominates. This provides an added dimension to the already evolving Tieguanyin component, providing a drink that is equal part fun and satisfying.
But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.
Osmanthus Oolong available in stores
