VAHDAM, High Mountain Oolong Tea Leaves From Himalayas (50+ Cups, 3.53oz) Strong & Robust Oolong Tea | High Elevation Grown | Vacuum Sealed | Brew Hot, Iced, Kombucha Tea | Loose Leaf Tea

I’ll begin by saying that I mostly drink black tea and am new to oolongs. My experience with them so far has consisted of a handful of tie guan yins, that dark oolong served in American Chinese restaurants, and a crappy fruit flavoured one. So I’m not an oolong expert. Having said that, I really enjoyed this Darjeeling take on oolong and think it’s a very interesting tea.I don’t agree with the reviews that say it’s more like a black tea than an oolong. The dry leaf is darker leaves mostly but also lighter hues including some that are rather green. I don’t know it’s exact oxidation but it’s clearly less than most black teas. It IS more like some Darjeelings (because it is one…) but it still struck me as different. In particular, I preferred this oolong to both Vahdams spring and summer Darjeeling, though it should be noted I’ve only had the teabag versions of those.Despite the darker dry leaves, Vahdam recommends brewing this tea from 175-194 F and I agree. I felt this tea was boring and muddled when brewed with boiling water and still undistinguished at 205. I’d even say aim for the lower end. I like it best around 185, but also liked it at 175. So treat it more like a green tea than a black tea, or at least like a greener Darjeeling, for the best results.When brewed the aroma is an appealing melange of grass, dried fruit, and cocoa. There are occasional hints of the muscatel notes of some second flush Darjeelings. The flavour is mellow, earthy, and fruity, with hints of fig and a variable level of cocoaness. The lower the brewing temp the more fruity, with more coca and earthiness emerging with higher brewing temps. There is a pleasant light astringency and a bit of citrus in the finish. I don’t recommend adding milk or sweetening as most of the flavours are subtle. The tea resteeps pretty well, particularly when the initial brew is cooler. I found the second steeps to be lighter, more vegetal and grassy but still enjoyable.I liked this tea and would recommend it to black tea drinkers who want to branch out some and to Darjeeling fans. As for serious oolong drinkers, those who know the ins and outs of Wuyi tea or Taiwanese high mountain oolongs, I don’t know. Your art is a strange one I hope to learn. At the least, an Indian oolong is fairly rare and might be worth a look.