Red Oolong: Taitung's Oolong That Tastes Like Black Tea

Red oolong (紅烏龍, hong wulong) is a Taiwanese oolong from Luye Township in Taitung County, on the island's east coast. It's oxidized far more than other rolled oolongs, close to red tea (hong cha, what the West calls black tea), then rolled into balls and roasted. The liquor is amber-red and tastes of honey, plum, dried fruit and a gentle roast, with the smooth body of red tea and the long, layered finish of oolong. It's a young style, developed in Taitung in the late 2000s. Brew at 90–95 °C.

Poured blind, red oolong is easily taken for a very good red tea, until it keeps going for eight steeps and changes from plum to honey to wood. That confusion is exactly what makes this tea interesting.

How red oolong is made#

Red oolong follows the oolong process (withering, tossing, oxidation, fixing, rolling, drying) but pushes oxidation much further than usual, until the leaves are mostly red-brown. It's then rolled into balls like other Taiwanese oolongs and roasted. Some batches use leafhopper-bitten summer leaves, which adds honey notes, as in Gui Fei.

The style was developed in Taitung with support from Taiwan's tea research station as a way to make better use of summer leaves, which are often too bitter for light oolong.

Red oolong vs red (black) tea#

More on the difference in oolong vs black tea.

What it tastes like#

Red oolong vs other Taiwanese teas#

How to brew red oolong#

It's forgiving: hot water brings out the roast and fruit without harsh bitterness. It also takes a splash of milk better than most oolongs.

How to buy good red oolong#

• Origin stated: Luye or Taitung.
• Clear, red-amber liquor; muddy or very dark means over-roasted or old.
• Fruity, honeyed smell in the dry leaf, not just smoke.
• Harvest year and roast level described.

Storage#

Airtight, dark, cool. Thanks to high oxidation and roasting, red oolong keeps well for a couple of years and some people age it. See how to store tea.

Myths#

"Red oolong is just red (black) tea." It's made by the oolong process and rolled and roasted like oolong.

"Red means it's flavoured." The colour comes from heavy oxidation.

"It's an ancient style." It's one of Taiwan's newest.

My honest take#

Red oolong is a natural first oolong for red (black) tea drinkers. It feels familiar in the first cup and surprising by the fourth.

The bottom line#

Red oolong is a heavily oxidized, rolled and roasted oolong from Luye, Taitung. It tastes of honey, plum and dried fruit and sits between oolong and red tea. Brew at 90–95 °C and take your time with it. More in my Taiwanese tea guide.