Oolong Tea coffee in London
2 speciality roasts from 2 London roasters feature oolong tea notes.
Oolong tea as a flavour note in speciality coffee describes a delicate, semi-oxidised quality that sits somewhere between the grassy freshness of green tea and the deeper, roasted warmth of black tea. In the cup it tends to present as a smooth, slightly floral complexity with a gentle astringency and a lingering, clean finish. This character is typically linked to high-altitude arabica beans with naturally elevated aromatic compounds, and is most often coaxed out by lighter roast profiles that preserve volatile esters rather than burning them off.
Oolong tea notes bring a delicate, floral sweetness to coffee, evoking the subtle complexity of a perfectly steeped cup. Coffees carrying this profile typically hail from Guatemala and Kenya, where they're processed using hybrid washed or washed methods that preserve their nuanced character. Kiss the Hippo and Coal Town are among the London roasters crafting these elegantly restrained brews.
Top rated oolong tea coffee roasts in London
Speciality roasts carrying oolong tea notes, ordered by community rating.
Roasters producing oolong tea coffee
London roasters with the most approved coffees carrying oolong tea notes.
Flavours that pair with oolong tea
Notes that most commonly appear alongside oolong tea in the same roasts.
Where oolong tea coffee comes from
Origin countries that most often produce oolong tea-forward coffees among London roasts.
How oolong tea coffee is processed
Processing methods associated with oolong tea notes in London roasts.
How oolong tea notes develop
This note is most often associated with coffees from East Asian and high-altitude Southeast Asian growing regions, particularly Taiwan, Yunnan in China, and parts of Myanmar, where the terroir and ambient flora can directly influence the aromatic profile of the cherry. Ethiopian and Kenyan naturals and washed lots occasionally exhibit a similar character, typically when grown at significant elevation with careful post-harvest handling. Honey and natural processing methods tend to encourage this note, as the extended contact between the fruit and the seed allows nuanced, tea-like compounds to develop in the green bean.
What to look for
On a bag or tasting menu, oolong tea is frequently listed alongside other floral or stone-fruit descriptors such as peach, apricot, jasmine, or bergamot, which suggests a shared aromatic lineage worth exploring. Filter brew methods, particularly pour-over and Chemex, are well suited to expressing this note because they allow the subtler aromatic layers to come through without the body-forward intensity that espresso extraction can introduce. Cooler brew temperatures and a slightly coarser grind can also help preserve the delicate, tea-like quality in the cup.
Find coffee matched to your taste
Take our 60-second flavour quiz and discover roasts across London that are aligned with your palate — including ones carrying oolong tea notes.