Zealong - Oolong from New Zealand!

Hello hello!

Lately I’ve been digging into the exploration of different oolongs, such as oolongs from China and Taiwan. However, there is one kind of oolong that’s new to me (and a lot of other people), and that’s because it hasn’t been around for very long. This is oolong tea that’s grown in New Zealand. Yes, you read that right. Today I’m going over an organic oolong tea, grown and sold by Zealong, which is grown exclusively in New Zealand. In fact, they sent me a box of their aromatic oolong to try. So I must ask, how does this oolong hold up to its Taiwanese and Chinese counterparts? Lets find out!

Water Temperature - 185ºf

Dimensions - 4.5ml of oolong for a 90ml tea pot

Price Per Gram - $0.63

Steeps 1 - 6

At first, Zealong started out with faint undertones of vanilla which left a sweet and leaf pile aftertaste on the tongue. After a few more steeps, and after having a chance to open up, these tasting notes became more prominent in the mouth. With the combinations of vanilla and green leafy flavors, it almost resembled coconut water. After the fourth/fifth steeping, this tea fully resembled coconut water. By the sixth steeping, these flavors started to change and began to take a back seat.

Steeping 6 - 12

Zealong’s tasting notes of vanilla and leaf pile started to take a back seat as a vegetal zucchini tasting note started to make its way to the front of the tongue. These vegetal tasting notes came on strong, and were smooth to the base of the tongue. This teas texture was smoother than before, and really started to make my mouth water for more. By the tenth infusion, this tea started to lighten up a bit. However, by the twelfth infusion, this tea had given it its all, and it was time to be put away.…

Conclusion

Zealong is a brand of tea that grows their own oolong right out of New Zealand. This tea comes in a 50g package, and is packed in its own unique box. One thing I liked about this variation of oolong is its unique taste that heavily reminded me of vanilla and coconut water — something I’ve never tasted in a green oolong before. Another thing I liked about this oolong is the number of steeps I was able to get out of it. However, despite that it’s grown in New Zealand, the prince point closely matches other high mountain Taiwanese oolongs.

Overall, I think that Zealong was a fun experience, mainly because I haven’t tried too many other oolong teas that were grown outside of Taiwan or China. I think when considering this teas tasting notes, it’s safe to say that it was complex enough to make me want to place an order for more in the future. So next time when you want to try an oolong that’s uniquely and positively different, I would personally go with Zealong….