Basilur is hands down the most romantic tea brand I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. From the flavour combinations to the intricate and artistic packaging illustrations, Basilur always makes you stop and admire them for a moment. Their milk oolong offering, known as White Moon, is no different.
For those unaware, milk oolong is a lightly oxidised (green) Taiwanese tea. It’s known as milk oolong or Jin Xuan, thanks to its naturally milky and buttery flavour. The flavour is a result of how it’s grown and harvested – there’s no milk added to this tea traditionally.
From my understanding of the ingredients list on the tea caddy I have, plus the information on Basilur’s website, this is not true or 100% milk oolong. While it does contain some milk oolong (possibly from China) it also contains Ceylon green leaf tea and milk flavour. My tea caddy lists the ingredients as “Ceylon green leaf tea blended with other origin green leaf tea milk oolong and flavour milk.”
The downside to this not being true milk oolong is that the flavour won’t be as deep and natural, plus you’re consuming milk flavouring and tea from other origins which diverge from the traditional Taiwanese flavours. The upside is the lower cost and pleasant drinking experience – because despite this being flavoured, it still tastes wonderful to me.
Basilur Milk Oolong at a Glance
- Blend: Milk oolong with added flavouring and Ceylon green tea
- Flavour: Pleasant, smooth milk oolong with natural green oolong and a hint of nutty milk
Despite being flavoured and not being entirely milk oolong leaf, it certainly has a pleasant and mellow flavour. Don’t let that alcoholic/chemical aroma note put you off, the flavour is worth it!
Full Review – Basilur Milk Oolong Tea White Moon
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: Ceylon green tea and Chinese milk oolong
- Additives: Milk flavour
- Flavour Notes: Smooth, dominant green oolong, nutty, light, milky, sweet
- Aroma: cream, milk, green oolong, Baileys (Irish cream liqueur)
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Amazon, Basilur Official Website
Prising open first the tea caddy tin and then the airtight inner package (they sure do seal your tea in tightly!), the initial aroma is creamy, milky and slightly chemical-like in an alcoholic way. The combination reminds me instantly of Baileys liqueur. The green oolong is subtle but hidden in there too. At this point, you might be worrying if the milk flavour will be too overpowering.
It brewed into a clear, light sunny yellow colour. I used a tea infuser rather than the paper tea bags Basilur include in the tin, which is why a few leaf fragments snuck through to the bottom of my cup.
The aroma now has lost all of those chemical notes and is very smooth. Rich cream and green tea swirl around the room.
As for the flavour, you are in for a treat. It tastes so delicious, the flavour notes are light yet the thick texture reminds me exactly of milk. The smooth, lightly oxidised oolong is the dominant flavour, tasting natural and refreshing. Slightly nutty milk notes linger on your tongue during and after drinking.
Overall, the flavour experience was great and more than makes up for the chemical note in the initial aroma.
How to Brew Basilur Milk Oolong Tea
Instructions on the base of the beautiful Basilur White Moon tea caddy state 80°C water, 1 teaspoon of tea, and a 2-3 minute steep time. I followed this and stopped directly on 2 minutes, as I know from experience that’s how I like it!
Leaving it to 3 minutes does intensify the green oolong flavour but not the milk aspect.
Although rich and smooth, it’s still quite a green tea so I tend to avoid it on an empty stomach as that upsets me a little bit. It’s quite low caffeine, so you could have it after dinner as a dessert tea.
It doesn’t need milk, lemon, sugar, honey or any sweetener you usually use. The natural creaminess and nutty sweetness complete the flavour – adding anything else would either clash or make it too much.
Why Basilur Oolong?
Basilur very kindly sent me a big box of tea samples to review. Nestled to one side was this beautiful crescent moon-shaped tea caddy with embossed illustration design. It holds 100g of loose leaf milk oolong inside a sealable plastic foil bag. There’s also a bunch of paper tea bags to fill up, in case you don’t have a tea infuser.
The tea quality looks good to me! The leaves are rolled and mostly whole, with only a few fragments floating around – this easily could have been from the journey through Royal Mail.
I’m happy with the tea quality, flavour, and packaging.
Summary
I’d recommend this to someone who wasn’t sure about oolong teas, wanted to try milk oolong, and didn’t want to spend a fortune. If that sounds more like a friend than you, then consider Basilur White Moon tea as a gift. The beautiful tea caddies make all their oriental collection teas gift-worthy.
Tea Recommendation
I love how light, mellow and soothing Basilur White Moon tea is, but sometimes the thought of more caffeine late in the evening puts me off. So, my caffeine-free tea recommendation to follow Basilur Milk Oolong is Pukka Night Time tea! It’s mellow and sweet in a whole different way.
