Formosa Oolong from Serenity Teahouse

Oolong tea, Tea reviews

Formosa oolong in yixing.

Serenity Teahouse is a small tea shop in Box Hill, a suburb of Melbourne. A tiny sign dangles above the sidewalk. Downstairs, there’s an Asian bakery that sells the tea; but the real fun begins upstairs, where Candy, the owner, will treat you to free tea tastings. Her family runs a tea farm (or several?) in Taiwan, so her specialty is in Taiwanese teas.

Among those is this formosa oolong, which I liked so much I decided to dedicate my first yixing tea set to it.

Formosa oolongs are a darker oolong, (meaning it has been oxidized more). They tend to be full-bodied, with some of the verve of black teas but without the mouth-puckering sharpness.

Benny also enjoyed his formosa oolong! Don’t worry, the cup and the tea were both cool:)

Serenity Teahouse’s formosa oolong has a weak nose. Surprising, considering how aromatic their other teas are. But where their greener oolongs have the most delightful aroma but a light flavour, the formosa oolong is less aromatic but has a stronger flavour.

The formosa oolong tastes of stonefruit and asparagus. In a way, it reminds me of the Ceylon black tea I reviewed last week. Similar flavours, similar character — it just has less bite.

I’m not sure whether Serenity Teahouse ships internationally, but their website is here.