Hong Shui oolong
A Taiwanese style that returns to older practice: higher oxidation and a real roast, in deliberate contrast to the very green modern high-mountain teas. The name refers to the reddish liquor, and the style has been revived commercially as a reaction against the industry’s shift towards lighter and lighter tea.
Character
Fruity and honeyed with a warm roasted depth, sitting closer to a light black tea than to modern Taiwanese oolong. A useful reminder that the green floral style is a recent fashion rather than the tradition.
- Flavour
- Fruity, Roasted, Sweet, Woody
- Aroma
- Honeyed, Caramelised
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Smooth, Rich
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- dried longan, honey, baked apple, caramel
- Aftertaste
- Warm, sweet and rounded.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Taiwan
- Oxidation
- Heavily oxidised
- Roast
- Medium
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Roasting
Brewing
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
5–7 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 6 authored infusions
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 2 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Ruby 18
Two Taiwanese teas built on honeyed depth rather than florals, one black and one heavily oxidised oolong.
- Hong Shui Dong Ding
Both are higher-oxidation 'red water' Taiwanese oolongs. One names the style, the other names the style plus its most traditional area.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Aged Shou Mei
Shares 8 descriptors with Hong Shui oolong: sweet, fruity, woody, full bodied, smooth, rich, caramelised and honeyed.
- Aged white tea cake
Shares 8 descriptors with Hong Shui oolong: sweet, woody, fruity, full bodied, rich, smooth, honeyed and caramelised.
- Chen Xiang Tie Guan Yin
Shares 7 descriptors with Hong Shui oolong: sweet, woody, fruity, full bodied, rich, smooth and caramelised.
- Dong Ding
Shares 7 descriptors with Hong Shui oolong: roasted, sweet, fruity, full bodied, smooth, rich and caramelised.
- GABA oolong
Shares 7 descriptors with Hong Shui oolong: fruity, sweet, roasted, full bodied, smooth, rich and caramelised.
- Moonlight White
Shares 7 descriptors with Hong Shui oolong: fruity, sweet, woody, full bodied, rich, smooth and honeyed.