Annual Charcoal-Roasted Red Oolong Competition Winner (全國傳統炭焙紅烏龍品質評鑑競賽茶)

The Annual Charcoal-Roasted Red Oolong Competition is a national tea competition organized by the Songling Tea Competition Association in Nantou County, Taiwan. Unlike many Taiwanese tea competitions focused on a particular growing region, this event welcomes teas from across the island, regardless of their place of origin or tea cultivar. Its main purpose is to recognize excellence in the traditional art of charcoal roasting.

Competition entries are evaluated by professional judges based on four criteria: appearance (20%), aroma (30%), taste (30%), and liquor colour (20%). Particular attention is paid to the balance between oxidation and roasting, the depth and consistency of the roasted character, and the preservation of the tea's natural sweetness and fragrance.

The competition features five award categories:

• Special Grand Champion (特等茶王)
• Tea King Award (茶王獎)
• Gold Award (金質獎)
• Excellence Award (優質獎)
• Merit Award (優良獎)

The competition teas are presented in gift boxes containing two metal tins with a total net weight of 300 grams.

Red Oolong is a highly oxidized Taiwanese oolong that combines the rich, fruity character of black tea with the complexity of traditional oolong. For this competition, the tea undergoes additional roasting over charcoal, a demanding process requiring precise control of temperature and time. Proper roasting develops a deep, warm aroma without overwhelming the tea's original character or introducing excessive bitterness.

Leaves: Tightly rolled, dark brown leaves with deep roasted tones.

Taste

The liquor has a beautiful, clear reddish-amber colour. The aroma is rich and distinctly roasted, with a warm, comforting character. The taste is full-bodied, smooth, and well-rounded, combining the depth of traditional charcoal roasting with the natural richness of Red Oolong. The finish is deep and persistent, leaving a pleasant, lingering roasted aftertaste.

Brewing

You can use any kind of teapot, but a clay teapot is particularly suitable.

Warm up the teapot with boiling water, add 2–3 grams of tea, and pour a small amount of hot water over the leaves, then discard the water. Pour 225–250 ml of hot water into the teapot, cover, and steep for three minutes before serving.

Water temperature – about 90–95°C (195–203°F). You can use the same tea leaves 3 to 4 times.

The tea leaves gradually unfurl during brewing, releasing their full flavour.

Additional information

This is one of the traditional ways of brewing. Depending on individual gustatory preferences, you can vary the brewing time from 35 seconds to 5 minutes.

You can also use the traditional Chinese brewing method – short successive infusions, using a Gaiwan and brewing for 3–5 seconds each time.

Please note, that it is natural tea with high content of active elements, including caffeine, and minerals and some unusual feelings could appear. In that case we recommend decrease quantity of dry leaves and brewing time.