Pacific Oolong tea from Hawaii is beautiful in appearance, strong in aroma and truly faithful to its terroir in flavor. This tea comes from Kīlauea and is a must for all those looking for exotic nontraditional delights in the world of tea.
Name: Pacific Oolong
Tea Vendor: Tea in the City (UK)
Type: Hawaii oolong tea
The true joy of running a tea site is not only in tasting all those exquisite famous teas, but also in having the chance to explore the unusual types. It’s time to review the first oolong tea from Hawaii – Pacific Oolong from Tea in the City.
The Colors of Oolong Tea from Hawaii
I love it. Seriously. I imaged Hawaii oolong to have small leaves, to look more modest,so I was quite surprised when I opened the bag. What a surprise! Huge playful wild-looking leaves, washed-out brown-green, matte, very twisted and very big with all shades of greying brown and greyish olive-green. Scent is very intense as well, deep woodsy caramel with a hint of tropical sweetness. Pacific Oolong is grown on the slopes of Kīlauea Volcano by Mike Riley. Price is £23.95 for 20 gram pouch, but is currently on discount ( £11.95).
The scent changes incredibly in the heated teapot. Well, this is definitely to be expected from one Hawaii tea – bring in the heat and the joy can fully start. This tea has an expressed mineral scent mixed with intense tropical fruit sweetness, with a dose of sunshine warmth enriched with light caramel note. But only light. This is the most fruity one of all oolongs I have ever tried.
Volcano in a Cup
Brewing: 4 grams, 150 ml, 90 degrees Celsius, 90, 120, 180 seconds
The scent changes very much after the first steep. It is much closer to dark Chinese Wuyi teas than any other oolong I have tried before. It has a lot of richness, elegance and balance, which makes it a bit more mature than other teas from countries that don’t produce teas for a long time. Color is yellow, quite light, transparent and airy.
Flavor is very light, but contains all of the scents from dry leaves. It’s very refreshing, quite mineral, and lightly sweet and sour, nicely balanced. This tea is more light than other teas of the same level of oxidation. Leaves get mineral and tingling notes after the second steep, with sourness and sweetness in the background. This tea cannot last for many infusions (up to 3), so maybe one long steep would be a better option, as there is no bitterness in it at all. Since this one is from 2015, I believe the newer tea would offer a very fresh note as well.
I believe this oolong tea from Hawaii is a perfect option for hot summer days, as it offers a very unique experience with strong characteristics of terroir in flavor and scent.
