This is the Grape Phoenix Oolong Lemon Tea ($8.90, regular size, half ice, less sugar, +$0.90 for original crystal ball topping) from Ningji Lemon Tea.
The beverage had an opaque deep red-purple hue with three slices of lemon. When consumed chilled, it presented immediate notes of intensely sweet grape juice concentrate reminiscent of Ribena, overwhelming any trace of the underlying tea. There was no discernible presence of Phoenix Oolong’s signature aromatic depth nor any perceptible lemon brightness, with the ‘crystal ball’ topping lacking bounce.
The “half ice” option amounted to what most other bubble tea stores would consider full ice, leaving very little liquid in the 600 mL cup. As a result, the drink was unsatisfying in both taste and value. Only once the ice had fully melted did the sweetness become somewhat more tolerable, though the flavour remained dominated by reconstituted grape juice concentrate—a disappointing result for a beverage marketed as tea-based.
Overall, a cloyingly sweet drink with negligible tea character, excessive ice, and poor value.
This Grape Phoenix Oolong Lemon Tea was purchased from Ningji in Sydney, Australia in October 2025.