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This is a wide category of tea that will bleed into what might commonly be called black or red teas. Different than traditional black teas, though, these will exhibit the wide spectrum of flavor and texture that come with artful oolongs.
These teas are in a world all their own. They are commonly grouped in the category of "black tea", but they are nothing like a generic black tea. In China and Taiwan they refer to this type of tea as Hong Cha, red tea. These teas have a spectrum as wide as oolong, and can be either sweet and floral like the blacks from Taiwan, or malty and chocolate-y like the blacks from China.
Here we have a favorite category of oolong... those leaves that have been bitten by a particular cicada. After the biting of the leaf, the tea plant secretes sugars to heal itself, and thus changes the tea flavor dramatically.
These are commonly referred to as the High Mountain Oolongs. Some cultivars like Jin Xuan have a milky flavor, while others like Cui Yu carry orchids. There can be significant variation in oxidation and roasting, but it's typically below 50%, and most retain a taste that is alive and vibrant.
Though we're mostly drinking teas from camellia-sinensis, we occasionally come across some very special flower, herb, or tisane blends.
