A customer recently wrote in to ask: “How are Taiwan oolong tea grades classified? As a beginner with no experience in buying tea, I’m not sure how to choose a good tea. Is there a grading system for oolong tea grades?” This is a common question for many tea beginners. After all, with so many varieties of Taiwan oolong tea and varying qualities, it can genuinely be hard to know where to start!
Oolong Tea Grades: How to Classify Taiwan Oolong Tea
Currently, Taiwan does not have any officially certified tea grading system. Most assessments rely on the personal experience of tea drinkers, or visiting tea shops to taste and compare different options. Tea appreciation is ultimately a personal preference, and finding a tea that matches your taste and budget is what matters most. Although there is no universal “oolong tea grades” standard, the following factors can help you select a quality tea that suits you:
| Oolong Tea Grades: How is Taiwanese Oolong Tea Classified? | |
|---|---|
| Tea Tree Variety | The variety of the tea tree affects the quality and flavor of Taiwanese Oolong. For example, Qingxin Oolong is widely recognized as the finest variety, followed by JinXuan, SiJiChun, Qingxin Damao, CuiYu, and Yingxiang. |
| Season | Tea is harvested year-round in Taiwan. For lightly fermented Oolongs, spring and winter teas offer the best quality. Summer tea tends to be more astringent, but when made into heavily fermented Oolongs (such as Oriental Beauty or Red Oolong), summer actually yields the finest quality. |
| Altitude | High mountain Oolong teas are celebrated as the pinnacle of quality due to their unique growing environments. High-altitude tea regions such as Lishan, Dayuling, Fushoushan, Biluxi, Cuifeng, and Cingjing produce teas with a more pronounced “mountain aroma” and are generally regarded as top-tier origins for high mountain tea. |
Not sure how to choose? Try competition teas!
If you don’t have much experience tasting Taiwanese Oolong tea yet want to buy the highest grade available, you can also start with officially judged competition teas in Taiwan. These competition entries go through public evaluation and rigorous selection to ensure guaranteed quality. While they tend to be on the pricier side, what you get is exceptional tea that is well worth trying.
Beginners are also welcome to shop at Liao Chang Xing, where all our Oolong teas are handpicked, reasonably priced, and backed by a satisfaction guarantee with hassle-free returns!