Tagged: grading
Article · varieties
The Grade on the Bag Predicts Less Than the Season Does
A December 2025 study built the first flavor wheel ever made for Yongchun Foshou oolong and found season, not the printed grade, decides most of its aroma and polyphenol chemistry. Grade's real, narrower job is deciding how much umami survives into the cup.
Guide · Regions & Origin
Oolong and Geographical Indication
A protected name is not a quality grade. What geographical-indication protection actually certifies for Wuyi yancha, Anxi Tieguanyin, and Phoenix Dancong.
Guide · Regions & Origin
Oolong Grades and Cultivars
Oolong carries four different things called a grade: a national sensory tier, a government cultivar registration, a trade aroma-type name, and a competition award. The canonical account of what each one actually certifies, and what it does not.