The oolong tea beverage is produced by a cold water treatment step of bringing
raw material oolong tea leaves into contact with water adjusted at pH about 4 to
6 and 25 C. or lower, eluting and removing about 11 to 26% caffeine from
the raw material oolong tea leaves by carrying out solid-liquid separation, and
recovering the treated tea leaves; and a hot water extraction step of recovering
hot water extract to be a beverage raw material containing nerolidol by extracting
the treated tea leaves with hot water at about 90 to 95 C. containing vitamin
C and adjusted at pH about 4 to 6 and then carrying out solid-liquid separation.
The cold water treatment step enables eluting and removing caffeine and the hot
water extraction step enables extracting more nerolidol, which is a flow scent
component particular in high quality oolong teas.