★★★★★
This one had a smooth flavor that pairs really well with honey.
This Taiwan tea, also called Fancy Formosa Silver Tip or Oriental Beauty, is one of the world's most prized oolongs. More heavily oxidized, yielding luxurious floral, peach-pit fragrance. Incredibly sweet and lush, delicate warm spicy undertone.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Formosa Bai Hao, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
This one had a smooth flavor that pairs really well with honey.
“This is not a bad tea, it’s just not for me.” - Olivia (14)
“I liked White Monkey better than this.” - Katie (17)
Not a bad brew! I enjoy malty teas, and wasn't expecting such a rich taste from an oolong.
Such a delicious cup, so worth the wait since I forgot it this morning, oversteeped by mistake but made no difference, couldn't be better. Slightly sweet and floral just as described, a hint of maltiness came through as well. loved this one. UPDATE: been a while since I first had this one, still amazing
Wow, this one is a stunner. Gorgeous floral overhead, warm bodied. Maybe too fancy for an everyday drink. Definitely something special!
Layers of flavor notes emerge from this tea. To me it tastes somewhat smokey. Another reviewer mentioned that it is a bug bitten tea. I had to go look that up. When the insect bites the tea leaves the leaves release sweetness. Honestly, I hope there are not any little insect parts in the tea! 195F for three minutes.
This has a nice, smooth, nuttiness that I really enjoyed. I would definitely get this tea again. 5 minutes at 195*
I'll be saying oooooh for a long time after drinking this Oolong tea. I absolutely love the flavor and mouthfeel this Formosa Bai Hao gives. There is a natural almost nutty sweetness detected that screams Ice Tea, and that is how I would prepare my next packet. I don't get a veg taste at all, nor do I get the black tea similarity that many are noticing.. I find the tea similar to a green tea vibe, hinted with a slight fruit presence. I truly enjoyed multiple steeps of this blend.
Rich and thick tea with a spicy undertone. Good to sip on and relax.
I liked that this tea had a blend of subtle flavors that all went well together. It tasted like an oolong, but wasn't overly oolong-y. It had a hint of sweetness that came across as fruity to me. And it smelled even better than it tasted!
CommuniTEA sample: 2 min @ 195 F, second infusion for 3 min @ 195 F. Delicious, sweet tea. Not quite a milk oolong, not quite a dark oolong, it blends a lot of things together well! I found it to have some green tea dryness and slightly resinous flavors, but with the sweetness of a fruitier black tea, getting some notes of grapes in there. There was also some light, buttery sweetness to it. I got a few mineral notes in the first cup, but not in the second. Overall, lovely flavor, really good mix of different oolong traits!
Delightful, full bodied, fruity, and sweet. This is an absolute winner of an oolong tea.
This is my all time favorite tea! It’s smooth and honeyed and beyond delicious! It’s my go to for a soothing cup.
Good, quality oolong. I would consider it the gold standard to aspire to in terms of quality and flavor.
This is a solid tea but comes through very floral. Some notes of rose and jasmine maybe seem slightly out of balance with the earthy notes. A bit more grassy and floral than I was expecting but good. Second steeping is decently watery.
Formosa Bai Hao is one of the better oolongs. It has an awesome smooth flavor. It is, however, too spendy for my budget.
I generally love floral oolong teas, so this one leaves me a little confused, especially since it's a premium tea. It has both floral and musky notes that just don't work together, and instead remind me of walking past the perfume counter at a department store. I'll finish my sample, but not going to buy more, and will go back to the other oolongs that I do like!
A good, light tea thats perfect to wind down with!
I love this. It has a nice delicate flavor that is a little sweet and a little mineral. It is great for many steeps.
This was pretty good, though probably won't be buying again. Definitely a really good darker oolong. I just don't think it's quite my cup of tea personally.
This tea has such a mild flavor I struggle to think of anything to say about it. Maybe I'm brewing it wrong. I've tried a few different ways and each time been totally underwhelmed by how little flavor it has.
This tea reminded me of the OOHDarjeeling tea. It is a stronger darker oolong than I usually drink. There was a slight bitter aftertaste. This would be lovely mixed with a chai as the underlying earthy tones would complement the spices. I tried a tiny bit of honey that smoothed out the bitterness nicely. Might need to try shorter brew time to see if less bitter. (note-brewing at 7000 feet elevation- teas seem to taste better brewed at lower temps here)
This is a wonderfully smooth tea. It stands up to multiple infusions very well.
My new favorite oolong! It has a bright, resinous flavor, still very complex. It takes the mineral flavor of the darker oolongs, and makes it brighter and more complex. Really lovely.
Great tea. Very flavorful. Definitely recommend it!
I'm starting to come around on Dongfang Meiren tea, and this is a pretty good quality product for an introductory offering. This is a tea that tastes a lot like a cereal. No real bitterness, just malty and grainy like a high fiber cereal with a bit of sweetness. I do not believe this variant is bug-bitten as honey flavor is very mild if present at all. Still a very pleasant tea both hot and iced- Will keep this in mind to order again once I go through more of my stash!
Hubby loves oolong teas, and Formosa Bai Hao is at the top of the list. Complex, and up to multiple steeps. He said it is fruity, creamy and slightly sweet with a hint of lemon/citrus, with no astringency. I purchased a large bag of it so he can enjoy it often. Life is short, so we try to make every day special. This lovely tea will bring much joy to our household. It lives up to its reputation as the Champagne of Oolongs.
oolongs just do it for me; whether they're greener, vegetal puchongs, or darker, honeyed formosas, like this one. happy to have 2 varities to switch between.
Not bad but not great, there are better Oolong out there. Vary mild flavor. Think it was the spice that turned me off.Thanks
Formosa Bai Hao it’s a regular tea and for me it’s not enough to buy it again
Oolong fan here, so this was an instant favorite. I loved the wonderful minerally river rock taste with a soft flavor of jasmine. No bitterness or noticeable astringency in any of the steeps.
My CT packet had 3 grams of dark different sized tea leaves with some having blond tips. Brewed 10 oz. at 195*F for 3 min. The dark amber colored liquor had a pleasant floral scent. A sweetener add of agave made this delicious oolong a truly delectable sipping experience, although, it was tasty without any additions. Enjoyed two more resteeps, each one mellower in flavor. By the third cup, the floral flavor had disappeared altogether but a much milder mineral taste was still there. After having many lovely cups of this oolong today, I can understand why it is such a treat and so prized!
Very delicious oolong tea. Rich and smooth. Lovely fruit notes. I enjoyed this tea without sweetener. It Steeped well several times
oolong teas are really growing on me. not literally. sweet with very slight floral and refreshing mineral flavor. I'm looking forward to steeping this sample a few more times.
This wasn't what I was expecting. It was closer to a black tea for me than an oolong. It was good, but it was more one note (earthy) and I missed the peach in the tea. I was really stuffed up though so that might have made a difference.
I didn't care for this sample. At best 'earthy' and worst taste like dirt. Not for me.
This had a lot more flavor than I expected! The smell when opening was grassy/earthy, but brewing gave a slightly sweet and subtle mineral flavor. I didnt even need to add anything, it was very flavorful on its own!
Great quality tea. Leaves were long and beautiful. A beautiful something between green and black. A light vegetable green plus mineral/wet stone scent. I usually don't like greens, but this is lovely.
I really enjoy this tea, it is light with a hint of 'earthy-ness' No sweetner needed
feb 23 - still liked but didn't stand out as much? maybe I didn't steep long enough
I had this in the black tea sampler and loved it. Agree that it is soothing and 'lush'; didn't need sweetener.
I've been wanting to try this tea for a long time, finally enjoyed it today with the Communitea. Smooth and lightly mineral with hints of sweet raisin, this tea is interesting and great!
When I opened my CommuniTEA packet, I was met with earthy aromas. I steeped the tea for 3 minutes. The flavor of this tea is floral with a hint of sweetness. It is very smooth and each sip is divine!
I'm still getting the hang of tasting oolongs. I can say that it does taste different from Fujian Rain... I think I do taste the nuttier, honeyed flavor and a note of some sort of spice a the end. It does not have the mineral taste of Fujian Rain or the super, super light flavors of the Milk oolong. I have it at 4 stars right now, but as I keep drinking it I actually think its growing on me and starting to taste a bit stronger as it cools down! Might wind up 5 starring it after all.
So smooth and light, I love the oxidization level. Delicious for a mid-day pick-me-up, and was great for multiple steeps.
This has become my favorite Oolong. It has a sweet, fruity, mild aroma and flavor. I use 1 teaspoon with 5 oz water, and steep for 2-3 minutes. Good for multiple steepings.
It's been a long time since I've tried but from my memory it was pretty solid. A little too light in flavor for my personal taste as I prefer a bolder cup myself. Would serve as a great every day tea.
CommuniTEA portion: 195 for 2 minutes. Held up to multiple steeps. What a wonderful oolong. Deep flavors and a complex but smooth sip.
A nice light tea. It had a buttery taste that melted in your mouth. CT 12/18/2023 3g 195 2.25 min
What a delight! I detected fruity, almost peachy notes with delicate floral undertones. With its velvety, buttery mouthfeel, I get why this is called champagne oolong. It’s luxurious. This tea puts the oo in oolong!
This tea was very nice, especially after I added a little bit of honey. Out of all of the unflavored oolongs I've tried thus far, this one has certainly made a very positive impression.
A good bold cup today. I enjoyed the flavor of this one.