Oolong

Oolong sits between green and black tea on the oxidation scale, and the term covers a wide range of styles rather than one flavor. Lightly oxidized oolongs can taste floral and green, while heavily oxidized, roasted styles taste dark, nutty and closer to black tea.

The maker controls oxidation by choosing when to heat the leaves and stop the process, and many oolongs are also rolled or twisted tightly, which affects how they unfurl and how many good infusions they can give in a gongfu session. That combination of oxidation level and leaf shape is why oolong varies so much bottle to bottle.

When buying, the oxidation and roast level listed on the package is a useful clue to expected flavor before you even brew it. A common mistake is treating all oolong the same way: brewing a light, floral style with near-boiling water made for a dark roasted oolong mutes its aroma, while under-steeping a dark, tightly rolled oolong leaves it thin.