Organic Makaibari Estate Oolong Tea

I really like this oolong. I brew at around 190 for 4 to 5 minutes or gong fu style for flash steeps and it rebrews well. I also really enjoy it iced!

Though described as lemony and vegetal, I detected more of a delicate honey flavor. It was light bodied, had a very smooth mouthfeel, and was my preferred cup of the three oolongs I sampled.

This tea is just ok. I didn't read the reviews before purchasing a sample and can agree this tea is more like a darjeeling than an oolong it is very astringent and citrusy with some floral notes but nothing like an oolong although it does have an oolong aftertaste. It was an interesting tea sample but I won't be ordering more of it.

I struggled with a rating of between 3 and 4 stars, but I'll be generous because I do love oolong, and this is certainly worth the asking price. It has the classic oolong presence, just a bit lacking in flavor profile for a perfect score.

I was absolute delighted by this mild, and earthy oolong tea. This has very strong Darjeeling flavor influences, but do not be fooled; it has the characteristic finish of oolong. The body of it is reminiscent, to me, almost of chocolate. I could drink this all day and I think I will!

I love all things Makaibari, and though this tea does not taste anything like your neighborhood Chinese restaurant's oolong tea, it's a terricfic tea at an unbeatable price. Flavor profile more in the realm of their black tea offerings, yet much softer and mellow. There's nothing better than some hot oolong after an indulgent meal, and I had it after a grilled andouille sausage feast, and wow the lingering flavors of the spice and grease just sang, and a whole new dimension of refreshing herbal flavors arouse from the tea while I was sipping it, you got to try it. Bottom line is it's a great value, tasty, and I'll be buying it again. Tea was brewed western style for 20 minutes, 2 liters of RO water, glass vat, at a low 170 degree brew.

At least that's how I found it, though I'm admittedly fairly inexperienced in the world of loose leaf Darjeeling. In fact, thinking about the other nice Oolongs I've tried from Arbor Teas and others, I'm not sure how this tea is akin to Oolong at all. The tea is by no means bad or bland, though. It's just sort of a mellower Darjeeling. So if you're a Darjeeling fan at all, I'd say this is definitely worth a try. If you're looking for a traditional Oolong though, whether floral, rich, roasted, or something in between, this may not be your bag. (For what it's worth, I read a review of this tea on another site that raved about how this tea tastes when it has been steeped quickly with near boiling water. I didn't try this with mine, but it may be worth picking up a sample just to try that out.)

I purchased the sample not too long ago and was excited to try it. I wasn't really impressed with this oolong. It wasn't a terrible tea, but just not a winner for me. Still glad I got to try it, and I'm happy that it was organic and fair trade.

Delicate, smooth & floral. This is one of my favorite teas.

I found this Oolong to be a good but not great tea. For me, not much of a vegetal taste. Not even sure where the lemony description comes from. I found it to be more of a "metallic" taste. Metallic is not the best descriptive term to use, but it is the best I can come up with. It is an interesting taste, yet it defies description. Probably best as a sample or 2.5 oz purchase to let the purchaser make up their own mind. I would probably purchase it again, just for the sheer fact that it is fairly traded.

I would have to say this is an all around Oolong tea. It has nice flavor, very much like green tea but more than just earthy. It's pretty rich but no particular taste. On to third infusion now Gung Fu style, (15 seconds per seeping) with my new hot water thermal dispenser. Not any smoky flavor to it, just oxidized green tea. I like more punch but I wouldn't say it's bad by any means.

I am a green tea man and this is not my cup of tea. It seems like this tea would go well with something else. Not that great by itself. I have never tried oolong tea before, so I have no business reviewing this tea, and that is the oolong and short of it.

I am primarily a green tea fan, and think that this oolong is worth trying if you are looking for a tea with the flavor of a Darjeeling black tea, but milder. It stood alone beautifully, without the addition of cream or milk (which I find necessary for black teas). First pressing was not a satisfying morning cup of tea for me (compared with Sencha or Kukicha). It seemed like it would pair well with something like a scone, which I was inspired to make later in the day! Second pressing, as printed, had a richer flavor, somewhat nutty and went well in the early afternoon with a square of dark chocolate. Third pressing still had a nice flavor and went great with a scone! I also tried some cold mixed with some of the chilled Tisane herbal tea, and think they would go well together for a nice summer iced tea. I have not had many other oolongs, so don't have much to compare it to. Much stronger flavor than few others that I have tried.

This oolong is very much like a darjeeling (black tea) first flush. It is not as complex as chinese oolongs. If I were in a blind taste test, I would say this is a darjeeling not an oolong, a quite good darjeeling but not quite as good oolong.

I purposely waited 9+ months to review this tea in order to provide a true assessment of it. I ordered this tea in bulk and stored it inside the large air tight metal containers sold here. Just to throw it out there, the picture of this oolong tea is different than what I had purchased months ago. My tea had a lot more green in it. With that said, this is an amazing tea. It quickly became my go-to tea for everyday consumption. It is well balanced with a great earthy aroma and bitterness is low. Not too weak, not too strong, and multiple infusions don’t get too dull. I highly recommend it.

This tea is delicious and beautiful. It may be my favorite color of tea. This is a great tea to tempt traditional black tea drinkers toward the green side. I am still a "green man" but this tea will get me to give the blacks a try!