Today’s oolongs are from Third Culture Bakery – a brick-and-mortar California shop known for its Mochi Muffins! It is awesome to see a cafe carrying good tea, but also the ability to purchase online.
The sourcing of these oolongs is a 3rd generation farm in Luye Valley of Southern Taiwan, which is 20 minutes from the Third Culture Bakery owner’s mother’s house!
Red Oolong from Third Culture Bakery
At this time, Third Culture Bakery sells their oolong in compostable tea bags. Each bag has 3 grams of leaf, which is awesome for flavorful tea. Most bagged teas contain only 1-2 grams of tea. 3 grams is just enough for gongfu style in a small teapot, which is what I am doing for both teas. I’m brewing in a 75ml pot with boiling water, starting with quick 15 second steeps.
Red Oolong’s leaves have a juicy roasted floral fruity scent. After a steep, the leaves are milky and pomelo citrus in scent.
Surprisingly very good. Red Oolong has a smooth crystalline squeaky texture – a borderline trying to be astringent to be a squeaky shine against the teeth, but it’s not drying yet. Flavor wise, it’s potently rock sugar and a sweet milk toast aftertaste. As I resteep, the flavor has a salty buttery milk flavor with glimpses of caramelized mushy peaches, like a bit of fruit on a danish pastry.
This oolong is quite bombproof. I ended up steeping the last steeping for 20 minutes as I got caught up with a badly behaved rabbit. Red Oolong still has a squeaky glassy texture but holds constant to a roasty, bready, milky, sugar sweet flavor.
I can understand why this tea would be sold at a bakery. It’s bready and very sweet and drinks like a meal. Red Oolong is satisfying to drink, like I’m having a meal before the dessert.
Honey Bug Bite Oolong
Honey Bug Bite Oolong‘s leaves are quite chopped up. The scent is more floral compared to the red oolong.
The first infusion is light in flavor, but what is there is a savory buttery note that lingers in the mouth. As it opens up, Honey Bug Bite Oolong has the taste of herby earthy leaves, salty minerals, and saltine crackers. The aftertaste and aroma are honey on saltine crackers. As I resteep, it gets sweeter and squeakier, building a slight astringency.
Honey Bug Bite Oolong is somewhat similar to the Red Oolong as being buttery and milky, however more savory, and delicate, with a stronger lingering aftertaste. The complexity and aroma is excellent. For a bug bitten oolong, it’s not as sweet as what I associate bug bitten to be, but it’s still pretty good.
Out of the two oolongs, I can see Red Oolong being a favorite as it is potent, easy to brew, and not astringent or bitter. Though oolong fans would enjoy the complexity of Third Culture Bakery’s Honey Bug Bite Oolong.
But if you are doing an order from Third Culture Bakery, you must get mochi muffins! They are S tier compared to my Matcha Butter Mochi recipe, though mine will do in a pinch. I got a few other teas and treats from Third Culture Bakery to write about, so stay tuned!
(teas provided for review)
