Est. 1956 · The Order The independent guide to oolong: the partly oxidized teas, and how to brew them Oolong.biz
THE ORDER OF THE SEVENTH STEEP SEMPER PARTIM OXIDATUM OOLONGThe Order of the Seventh Steep
The Order of the Seventh Steep
OOLONG
Semper Partim Oxidatum Always partly oxidized

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.

Aug 17, 2026 →
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, why Taiwan's oolongs sit outside that system entirely, and why an American shop can sell fake "Tieguanyin" legally, not because no protection exists, but because none of the four names has ever filed for the one the US offers.

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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.

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