Mi Xiang oolong
Oolong from leaf bitten by the tea jassid, the same insect mechanism that produces Oriental Beauty and muscatel Darjeeling. The plant’s wound response generates the honey aroma, which means the character cannot be manufactured — only encouraged by not spraying.
Character
Openly honeyed and fruity. The aroma is a plant defence response rather than an additive, which surprises most people who meet it.
- Flavour
- Sweet, Fruity, Floral
- Aroma
- Honeyed, Stone fruit
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Silky, Smooth
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- honey, ripe peach, muscat
- Aftertaste
- Honeyed and long.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Taiwan
- Cultivar
- Qing Xin Da Mao
- Oxidation
- Partially oxidised
- Roast
- Light
- Harvest
- Summer
- Processing
- Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Oxidation → Kill-green (fixation) → Cloth-ball rolling → Drying
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.
- Darjeeling muscatel
Two insect-bitten teas from opposite ends of Asia arriving at the same honeyed muscat by the same mechanism.
- Oriental Beauty
Both insect-bitten Taiwanese teas with honey aromas. Oriental Beauty is far more oxidised and the two are separate products.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Yiwu sheng pu-erh
Shares 7 descriptors with Mi Xiang oolong: floral, sweet, fruity, silky, smooth, full bodied and honeyed.
- Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle)
Shares 6 descriptors with Mi Xiang oolong: sweet, floral, fruity, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Bai Mudan
Shares 6 descriptors with Mi Xiang oolong: sweet, fruity, floral, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Bai Mudan Wang
Shares 6 descriptors with Mi Xiang oolong: sweet, fruity, floral, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Darjeeling white tea
Shares 6 descriptors with Mi Xiang oolong: floral, fruity, sweet, silky, honeyed and stone fruit.
- Fuding Silver Needle
Shares 6 descriptors with Mi Xiang oolong: sweet, fruity, floral, silky, smooth and honeyed.