Oolong Tea Identification

Start with the dry leaf. It should be whole and evenly coloured, and in a ball-rolled tea the pellets should be tight and heavy for their size.

Light oolongs are best fresh. They should be drunk within about 18 months of roasting, and they decline steadily after that.

A heavy roast at 6 grams per 150ml brewed five times will tell you what is under it, and a poor leaf is finished by the third.

Authenticity in oolong starts with a place, because the claims that carry the price are all about where the leaf grew.

Sensory review is not about deciding whether you like a tea. It is about describing the same tea the same way twice.

National standards for tea in China come in two kinds, and the distinction is the first thing worth understanding.