Valley Peak (Ding Gu Da Fang) from Mandala Tea

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Mandala Tea

Tea Description:

Like many of China’s famous greens, this tea also has a rich history.  Known in China as Ding Gu Da Fang (Valley Peak Da Fang), it was named after the Buddhist monk who originally grew the plants on Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) centuries ago.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is my first tea that I’ve tried from this new tea company (or perhaps I should say, a company that is new to me!) and based upon this very positive experience, I am glad it won’t be the last tea I taste from them.  I am absolutely LOVING this tea.

In the website description of this tea, Mandala Tea compares it to a LongJing (aka Dragon Well).  And while I do enjoy a good Dragon Well Tea and can see where Mandala Tea is coming from with such a comparison, I have to say that I prefer this Ding Gu Da Fang to most Dragon Well teas that I’ve tried. It is lighter, sweeter and smoother than a typical LongJing.

There is such a charming nutty tone to this tea.  It is light and crisp and reminds me of the snap (or crunch) you’d experience when biting into a cashew.  It has a creamy smooth flavor that reminds me of the mild, creamy taste of a delicious roasted nut.  The texture is light and clean, with a very mild astringency at the tail of the sip.

The sweetness and smoothness of this tea reminds me a bit of a yellow tea, so I have categorized this as both a green tea and a yellow tea, because even though it is a green tea, it has so many characteristics that remind me of a yellow tea.  This is an extraordinary tea; I highly recommend it.