formosa oolong
by adagio teas
(37 reviews)
Formosa Oolong is a darker style oolong tea from Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa (which means 'beautiful', given by the Portuguese explorers of the island). Deep raisiny and ripe fruit aroma, autumn 'leafy' notes. Lingering sweet flavor and smooth, refreshingly fruity astringency. This Formosa Oolong is easy to prepare and remains a lovely introduction to Taiwanese tea. Steep at 212°F for 3-5 minutes
Recent reviews
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Zell Maestro
This was good, but a pretty average oolong. It's appearance looks more on the black tea end of the spectrum, but it definitely tastes more towards the green tea end than you would think. I also found this to have a strong mineral taste as someone else mentioned, but I enjoyed this much more as it cooled.
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Tanya G.
This is a dark oolong that's earthy, malty and a little bit sweet. It's great plain and you can get multiple steeps.
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Nikki Pittman
Very pleasant and soft, this tea has a gentle but vibrant feel. It's a great midday pick-me-up!
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Sharon McConnell
This tea reminded me of the tea they served in Chinese restaurants in the 80's! Very enjoyable and nostalgic for me!
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Christine Jolly
I steeped using 195 F water x 4 min, twice. This has a strong mineral taste and I would not recommend adding cream. I tried that and had to dump it down the drain (No, the cream had not gone bad. I used it with other teas the same day.)
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Julie W
Lovely earthy/malty flavor and aroma. I love this tea! It has a natural sweetness to it and just a wonderful woodsy taste! one of my favorites!
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Michelle McGill
Taiwanese Oolongs are among my very favorite teas, and this one is no exception. This one is a more highly oxidized Oolong with rich, almost fruity flavors that hold up well to multiple gongfu steeps.
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Janet Ross
This has an earthy smell and flavor. Rich, smooth tea flavors persist throughout the cup and become stronger as the tea cools down. I steeped twice at 200 degrees for 3 minutes.
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Max Sugerman
Perfect Formosa Oolong. Formosa often gets criticized for being closer to black tea, but I think this version nailed the delicate balance between smokey and fresh
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Wally Fowler
I like it. Very smooth and fairly rich. I tend to like oolongs that lean towards black and this fits that bill very well.
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Rebekah Strickland
The taste is earthy, very much like a mild black tea but without much astringency. It's rather plain, so if that's your thing you'll love it. It's not my thing.
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shesallthat
Very average for me. I’m getting a very nutty and earthy tasting the most. Like most oolongs, great for multiple infusions.
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Jazmin Milhollin
This is an interesting little oolong. It’s malty, slightly earthy, but with lots of notes similar to a black tea. It’s reasonably priced and holds up well for multiple steeps!
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Cameron Kilchrist
This tea isn't exactly my go-to oolong, but it's not bad. It errs on the side of black in terms of it's fermentation rather than some oolongs that lie closer to the middle of the green/black spectrum. I'm glad I tried it but I won't be reordering.
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Red Wolfe
This tea is wonderfully smooth, with dark fruity notes. The flavor stands up to resteeping very nicely, and is a must try for any oolong fan.
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Cassandra Guild
I think this tea wasn't too astringent when compared to other oolong teas.
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Lilly Tryon
A very smooth, dark oolong with little astringency and no bitterness when steeped at 190°F x 3 minutes. The flavor is mellow with hints of toasted grain and chocolate. I love oolongs for their diverse and complex flavors and the ability to resteep multiple times (I did 3 steeps).
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Rachel Emmel
I love how this tastes, reminiscent of a black tea. It steeped a nice dark color. When hot it had an autumnal, woody flavor, and a nutty scent. Once it cooled it picked up a sweeter, raisin flavor and came across a bit malty as well.
I got 2 strong steeps out of this, and 1 milder one.
Steeped 3x, 200F 3min
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Dorothy Summey
Reminds me of what wet wood chips might taste like but I am still liking this cup of tea. Oolongs are very forgiving if over steeped.
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Emily Cargile
This tea really isn't bad - it does have that slight "burnt cardboard" taste that a lot of oolongs seem to have, but beyond that it is actually pretty pleasant. It's bright like the standard orange pekoe I'm used to. Overall, not a bad tea, and it's actually a little heartier than a lot of the oolongs I have tried recently. I'm pleased with it - but ultimately would not buy a full bag of it.
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Sleepy Greyhound
I prefer the less oxidized oolongs from Taiwan, but this an interesting cup. Mineral tastes with dry, brown leaves. Moderate astringency. Richly flavored.
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Juhea Yahng
This was a lot more mineral than I expected based on the smell. It was nice to drink, but I don't know if it would become a regular for me
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Tea Tigress
The brewed cup smelled of gardenias and spice. On the tongue I got plenty of earthiness with floral gardenia notes. I'm not big on floral teas, but I can't fault this tea for that - it's a good quality blend, just not for me.
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Allanah Bisson
My friend ordered some of this and I really enjoyed it. Not quite my usual but very tasty nonetheless
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Michael M
This is a nice, darker Oolong tea. A little astringent, I think I'll appreciate this tea more as I continue to brew additional cups.
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Alexis Wolf
I found this oolong almost bitter to my taste, but I can tell that it's a solid oolong and just not light enough for my taste--I regifted it.
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Mocha Cocoa
I enjoyed this oolong tea a lot. I usually get it hot in the morning and cold in the afternoon depending on my mood
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Katie DiBenedetto
A nice and flavorful oolong, a bit more oxidized than I prefer though, but that's just my personal preference and nothing to the actual flavor. It was still an enjoyable cup.
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Bailey Green
Delicious and flavorful. One of my favorites! Definately a tea to curl up with a book!
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Lydia Getgen
I love this tea so much! It puts me in mind of the lovely, earth teas served after a meal at a nice restaurant