Organic Bug-bitten "Honey Aroma" Oolong

$4.25 USD

Free shipping over $75 (US only).

Tasting notes

About these tasting notes

These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.

Apricot Honey Brown sugar

Effects

About these effects

These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.

Elevated mood Energizing boost Creativity

Honey Aroma Oolong - Bug bitten, Deeply Roasted, Intensely Satisfying.

This tea, also called "Honey Fragrance Oolong" (蜜香烏龍) is a special tea because of the way the Jassid bugs (leafhoppers) feed on the tea leaves. These tiny insects naturally encourage the plant to produce additional aromatic compounds as a defense, helping create the tea’s distinctive sweetness and complexity. Their presence also generally requires a clean growing environment, since leafhoppers are deadly sensitive to any pesticide use. Combined with the naturally creamy, buttery character of the Jin Xuan cultivar (金萱乌龙), this makes for a particularly interesting and artisanal tea.

Additionally, a traditional heavy charcoal roasting process is used, rather than the electric roasting methods more common today. The slower, more hands-on roasting develops deeper layers of flavor while complementing the bug-bitten sweetness of the leaf. The final result is something that is often described as tasting like molasses, honey, brown sugar, caramel, and other sweet, toasty notes. This is a tea with a lot of craftsmanship behind it, from the insect-bitten leaves all the way through the charcoal roast.

Notes from Staff: Charcoal Roasted and Bug bitten, this tea has a lot to offer. The taste is exquisite. It's probably one of the best teas you'll ever try. Be warned, this type of oolong often turns people into repeat customers!

Most tea today is roasted using an electric method, because it is faster, cheaper, and requires less skill, thus making it more consistent. This tea was roasted the traditional way: by an artisan's hand, over charcoal embers, using low heat over the course of many days under careful supervision. It takes far more knowledge, fuel, and time than electric roasting, but it rewards the tea with deeper flavor and the ability to age gracefully for decades.

This tea's honeyed, fruit-forward character isn't an additive — it comes from insects. Leafhoppers feed only on gardens grown without pesticides, and their bites trigger the plant to release aromatic compounds no processing technique can fake. The tradeoff: bitten leaves are smaller and far less abundant, so gardens that allow this yield a fraction of a normal harvest.

Old Mountain Tea Guarantee

Our teas are guaranteed free from harmful chemicals. We source directly from small, clean family farms that take real pride in their work — no middlemen, no anonymous blends. Many of these teas are bug-bitten, and leafhoppers only feed on gardens grown without pesticides, so the leaf itself is living proof the garden is clean. Every tea is grown to organic standards and traceable to the farm that made it.

Read our full guarantee →

Rare Oolong TeaOrganic FarmsSmall Batch ProductionHand-harvested & ProcessedNo Added Flavors or Preservatives — Ever!Secure Checkout30-day Returns

Not sure yet? Try a Discovery Set

Origin & Terroir

Cultivar About this cultivar Jin Xuan (金萱), also known as Tai Cha No. 12 or Golden Lily, is a Taiwanese hybrid cultivar developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) and released in 1981. Bred from Ying Zhi Hong Xin × TTES No. 8, it was selected for high yields, resilience, and pest resistance. Today it is widely grown in mountain regions such as Alishan and Nantou, where cool, misty conditions help develop its character. Best known as a semi-oxidized oolong, Jin Xuan produces naturally creamy, buttery, floral, and fruity notes and can also be made into green or black tea. Its famous “milky” character is entirely natural, coming from compounds in the leaf such as lactones, rather than added flavoring.: Jin Xuan(金萱乌龙) (literally "Golden Lily") Tai Cha #12
Status: Rare
Processing method: Medium Oxidized, Heavy Roast
Charcoal roast level Why charcoal roasting costs more Roasted by hand over low charcoal embers across multiple sessions and days, far slower than electric roasting. It deepens flavor and lets the tea age well, which is why charcoal-roasted teas cost more.: (85% · High)

Region: Puzhong Village, Mingjian township, Nantou County, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 2026(Organic)
Elevation: 550 meters
Climate: Humid, Tropical, Mountainous
Oxidation level What oxidation level means Oxidation is what turns green tea into oolong or black tea — as leaves are bruised and rested, enzymes react with oxygen and deepen their color and flavor. Green tea sees almost none; oolong ranges widely; black tea is oxidized fully.: (40% · Medium)
Picking style Why picking style matters Hand-plucking means workers select each bud and leaf by touch, one at a time — far slower and more expensive than machine harvesting, but gentler on the leaf. As labor costs rise, fewer gardens still pick this way, making hand-plucked tea increasingly rare.: Hand Plucked
Bug-bitten level Why bug-bitten tea costs more These leaves were bitten by tiny leafhoppers, which only feed on pesticide-free gardens. Their bites trigger the plant's natural defenses, producing honeyed, fruity notes — but damaged leaves mean a much smaller harvest.: (75% · Medium-High)