While this is a very smooth taste, it does have a black tea taste to it- though that is no surprise. I will not rate this tea on my own taste, which is what I generally do, but rather I will rate it on the merits of aroma, freshness, and leaf quality. The integrity of this black oolong leaf is rather strong for a Japanese tea as it taste very fresh and has a very smooth taste. Though I personally am not a fan of black tea, this does not have that strong bitter taste that I associate with black teas so it would be preferred over a straight black tea for me.