Koshun (Oolong) | 香駿 ウーロン茶

Koshun oolong — made from leafhopper-kissed buds

This oolong is made from specially selected aromatic buds known in Japanese as unka-me (ウンカ芽) — leaves that have been kissed by tiny leafhoppers. When these small insects nibble on tea buds, the plant responds by producing intensely sweet, fragrant compounds. This same phenomenon is what makes Taiwan’s famous Oriental Beauty oolong so prized. Here, a Japanese producer applies that principle to the Koshun cultivar — creating something uniquely Japanese, yet connected to one of oolong’s most celebrated traditions.

The flavour is crisp and refreshingly clean, with Koshun’s signature floral aroma and a sweet, enveloping warmth from the partial oxidation. The finish is light and cooling — a tea that feels almost effortless to drink. If you know our Koshun Black Tea, think of this oolong as the same cultivar stopped mid-journey — lighter, clearer, and more refreshing, without the richness and punch of the fully oxidised black tea.

Japanese oolong is still extremely rare. Only a handful of producers in Japan craft oolong from Japanese cultivars, making this a genuinely uncommon tea. For oolong lovers familiar with Taiwanese or Chinese styles, this offers a completely different perspective — more delicate, with a distinctly Japanese clarity. A great palate cleanser after meals. Also excellent cold brewed.

From the same mountain farm as our Koshun Black Tea and Kabuse Yabukita — Sasama — Miyama-en in Sasama, Shizuoka.