Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Eco-Cha
Tea Description:
This batch of tea comes from Yong Long Village, just above Dong Ding Mountain. Yong Long is known for a rich red soil which differs from other locales in Lu Gu Township. The unique flavor of the Dong Ding Oolong produced here is attributed to this soil quality, along with the fact this region is home to the most concentrated population of the most skilled oolong tea artisans in Taiwan.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The fragrance of the dry leaf of this Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Eco-Cha has a strong vegetative tone with hints of roasted nut. Once brewed, the aroma becomes much more roasty-toasty with the vegetative notes becoming very faint.
And that’s what I’m tasting too. Up front, I notice the roasted nutty taste, evoking thoughts of freshly toasted chestnuts. I also notice a slight “coffee-like” flavor … not so much the bitterness of coffee, but the rich, roasted flavor of coffee. This would be a great tea for the former coffee drinker who misses that “fresh roasted” flavor of coffee but doesn’t miss the caffeine jolt or the nauseating feeling that some of us experience after a cup of joe.
There is not a strong vegetative tone to this first cup (infusions 1 & 2 following the 15 second rinse) … it smells more vegetal than it tastes. There is a smokiness to this Oolong that complements the chestnut and coffee notes, and there is a very distant “raisin-y” note here too.
The second cup (infusions 3 & 4) brought that raisin note forward, making for a sweeter cup than the first. This cup still has notes of roasted nuts and coffee, but these two flavors are starting to meld together into a more unified taste. As I sit here and sip on this tea, I realize what a perfect for autumn tea this Dong Ding Oolong is, because it has flavors to it that remind me of autumn. The smoke, the chestnut, the warm notes of coffee, even the raisins are very autumnal to me.
The third cup was a bit softer in taste and texture than the second, but not by a lot. It is still very flavorful. The flavors are much more seamless now. The coffee notes are less distinct. I notice a little more of the vegetative note now, more than I tasted in the first two cups.
A very enjoyable tea. I really like this company: Eco-Cha. The packaging is beautiful, and the tea is of excellent quality! I like that they get their teas direct from the source, which means a fresher product! This Dong Ding, for example, was harvested in May of this year, and it was hand-picked in small batches. I like that!
Superfine Taiwan Moderately-Roasted Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
In Taiwan Oolong Tea, Dong Ding Oolong Tea is an excellent kind highly praised by the world. Dong Ding is originally planted on Dongding Mountain, which is a branch of Phoenix Mountain, in Lugu Village, Nantou County, Taiwan. The tea is planted in the area at the altitude of 1000 meters. So this is also a High Mountain tea, which is known as its obvious floral fragrance. This Moderately-Roasted Dong Ding Oolong Tea is made of the tea leaves from Qing Xin Oolong tea tree. By roasting the tea, this Dong Ding Oolong has thick and soft leaf, smooth and brisk tea liquid. Meanwhile the strong floral fragrance makes it taste rich. This is the reason that High Mountain tea is more excellent than low altitude tea. What’s more, this brings more opportunities for tea lovers to try different flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
While I love nearly every Oolong tea that I encounter, I definitely have my favorites. Dong Ding Oolong teas are not what I typically consider “my favorite” but, I definitely enjoy them. And I really like this Superfine Taiwan Moderately-Roasted Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Teavivre.
The aroma of the dry leaf captured my interest immediately with it’s warm, roasted tones, a scent that translates into the brewed tea as well. This smells delicious and toasty, with floral notes dancing in the background.
I brewed this in my gaiwan, using short steeps and I got eight infusions of Dong Ding deliciousness! My first cup delivered a flavor that was sweet and nutty and the texture, soft and smooth. This first cup (which was a combination of the first 2 infusions) was lighter than the cups that followed, not just in flavor but also in mouthfeel.
The second cup was similar to the first, however, I noticed other flavors starting to emerge. A floral note began to reveal itself, and I liked the way this mingled with the sweet, nutty tones. Hints of fruit were distant. The texture here was a little thicker, reminiscent of a light broth.
The third cup – my personal favorite – is where the notes of flower really began to present themselves to the palate. Before, they merely hinted at their presence, but, it was this cup, the combination of infusions 5 and 6, that the toasted nut notes began to wane and the floral notes really peaked. The texture is silky, and the aftertaste is sweet. This cup also brought out some vegetative tones.
The fourth cup (and my final cup for this tea journey), was a bit lighter in flavor than the second and third cups, but still quite enjoyable. I found that the toasty notes were still present, but they were softer than they were in the first three cups. The taste was still nutty, sweet, and floral, but all flavors seemed to merge together into a seamless flavor, rather than being distinct and separate.
Another excellent tea from Teavivre!
Dong Ding Oolong from Peony Tea S
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Peony Tea S
Tea Description:
In spite of its curious sounding name in English, the Dong Ding Oolong is one of the most well-known and beloved teas from Taiwan. It’s strong rich flavor and lingering aftertaste has enchanted countless drinkers across the generations.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The more acquainted I become with Peony Tea S, the more impressed I become. This is a company that is dedicated to delivering the very best teas … and this Dong Ding is proof of it. While Dong Ding is one of the Oolong types that I have a little less experience with (I’m much more familiar with Tie Guan Yin and Ali Shan, for example), of the few Dong Ding Oolongs that I’ve tried, this is certainly right up there with the very best! It is so delicious, my mouth actually seems to water in between sips as my taste buds anticipate the flavor of it.
What I noticed first with this Dong Ding was it’s fruity character. It has a strong fruit-like presence, with tastes that are reminiscent of sun-dried fruit such as a dried plum or possibly a raisin. It has that sugary sweetness of the dried fruit … and then I notice a more caramelized kind of taste to it … like raisins that have been reconstituted and then cooked back down into a sweet, caramel-y sauce.
There is very little floral note here – oh… there’s some, certainly. I notice a certain amount of floral tones in just about every “green” Oolong I encounter, but, the floral tones seem to be washed over by the sweetness of the fruit. In the background, I notice a hint of nutty flavor that begins to develop.
Also in the background, I notice the faintest vegetative note – almost like it’s tempt the palate into a game of hide and seek (“try and find me!”) and along with it is a savory quality. Not quite sour … not quite. Not at all bitter. Very smooth, sweet and relaxing to sip, but all the while, it keeps my taste buds guessing with its complex character.
This Dong Ding is truly memorable – one of the best I’ve tried. Sweet and caramel-y; those are the flavors that stand out the most to me. Some astringency, a slight dry sensation toward the tail, leading into the aftertaste that is gently sweet.
Taiwan Green Style Dong Ding Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
The hand-plucked leaves of Dong Ding Oolong are grown in the Dong Ding region of Taiwan at the elevation of 740 meters. At this elevation, the leaves absorb moisture from the surrounding fog and clouds every morning and afternoon which is ideal for Oolong plants. Due to the unique geographic location and stringent selection of leaves, this is the finest Dong Ding Oolong from the Dong Ding estate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a fabulous Dong Ding … it is sweet with strong fruity notes. Usually with a greener style Oolong like this, I expect a strong floral note, and while there are some flowery tones to this cup, I taste more fruit than flower. Very nice.
The fruit tones taste somewhere between peach and plum. It is pleasantly sweet with hints of sour. There is a nice roasted note to the background, reminding me a bit of toasted grain. The floral note is subtle and develops as I continue to sip. The astringency toward the end is slightly dry and leaves the palate feeling clean. There are some crisp, delicate vegetative notes as well.
The first couple of infusions start out very light – touching on all of the flavors I mentioned. With subsequent infusions, I notice the vegetative tones emerging more, and the floral notes becoming more distinctive. The fruity notes of the first few infusions begin to subside, and a savory bitter tone starts to reveal itself, offering contrast to the sweet flavors of this cup.
The final infusions (I steeped this tea six times) were much more vegetative and floral than the first infusions, but they were still very tasty. I do think I preferred the fruity notes of the first couple of infusions, but, overall, it was a very pleasing experience from start to finish, and the transitions of this tea are fascinating to explore.
Dong Ding Oolong from TeaSpring
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: TeaSpring
Tea Description:
One of the most famous and finest Formosa Oolong is Dong Ding Oolong. The leaves of this tea are carefully hand-picked from Mount Dong Ding in Taiwan. It is believed that Dong Ding Oolong tea plants are actually a specimen of Wuyi strain that have been carefully selected and re-planted in Taiwan. As with most Taiwanese Oolongs, the frangrance and taste of this tea is wonderfully sweet and will leave you craving for more.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I haven’t had many teas from this company, but based upon this tasting alone, I think I need to start expanding my experience with TeaSpring! This is a fabulous Dong Ding Oolong. Dong Ding Oolong teas are one of those teas that when it comes to shopping for Oolong, I don’t usually have it in mind … but when I do actually have one (this time, thanks to a dear friend!) it provides a very cherished tea moment.
The fragrance coming from my teacup is vegetative and nutty, with hints of flower in the distance. It is a delightfully sweet aroma – you definitely want to inhale deeply before taking a sip of this tea to take full advantage of the aromatic qualities of the tea and allow it to enhance the flavor.
The sip starts out … rather pale. But allow that bit of liquid to set upon your palate for just a moment and settle in, and the flavors really come to life. The taste is sweet, nutty and floral. There is less vegetative flavor than the scent lead me to believe. The nutty flavor is interesting, I sometimes taste a raw nutty flavor, very creamy with hints of bitterness, and sometimes I taste a roasted nut flavor that’s sweet and toasty.
I took advantage of the many infusions this tea has to offer, and kept infusing until the leaves completely unfurled. This took roughly about six infusions, starting with a quick rinse with 175°F water, then infusing for 1 minute for the first infusion (again with 175°F water) and then adding 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusions.
The first and second infusions were much paler than the subsequent infusions, and I found that the flavor intensified and lost that subtle tone at the start with the third infusion. The flavor became more floral in the later infusions, as well, and creamier, with a tangy fruit tone toward the end of the sip.
Truly a delightful tea to experience … I foresee spending some time at TeaSpring’s website very soon!