Dong Ding Oolong Tea

US$44

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  • Flavor: 

    Caramel, nutmeg aroma. Notes of honey-roasted cashews and savory pastry. Complex, sweet/savory finish.

    Garden:  This batch of tea comes from Phoenix Village, next to Dong Ding Mountain in Lugu. It is the roasted version of our Traditional Dong Ding Oolong — harvested from our friend's family tea garden in their backyard and processed the way his grandpa used to (but with the help of machines!).

    Harvest: Hand picked, singular small batch. Winter 2023. Fenghuang, Lugu, Taiwan.

    Elevation:  700m

  • Dong Ding Oolong is a medium oxidized, medium-heavy roast tea with a hearty, complex, and robust character.

    The initial steeping brings forth a complex bouquet of roasted vegetables, pine, and a touch of smokiness. On the palate, you get roasted sweet corn, nutty/fruity notes, and a tangy, heady finish with just the right touch of astringency.

    This batch of Dong Ding Oolong is representative of a traditionally made Oolong from the original source of this type of tea. It demonstrates the broad spectrum of character and flavors that can be captured by refined roasting techniques.

  • We are now able to source our Dong Ding Oolong Tea from our friend who makes our Traditional Dong Ding Oolong Tea. The traditional version is left unroasted, and this is a medium roast Oolong Tea. Now our customers can experience two versions of the same leaf material (although on different days and/or seasons of harvest). Both of these teas are cured in the same fashion. The only difference is the roast factor.

    This tea is harvested from family plots of tea in the heart of Taiwan's Traditional Oolong Tea making region: Phoenix Village in Lugu Township. These small plots of Qing Xin Oolong surrounding our friend's traditional home and factory can be considered an heirloom strain that was planted over 30 years ago. These trees are noticeably different than Qing Xin plants propagated in the last 10-20 years.

    Tea farmers in this village and throughout Lugu Township most commonly processed their crops of tea in this fashion up until 30-40 years ago. This tea existed before the name Dong Ding Oolong was popularized by the Lugu Farmers' Association. It was simply the style of tea that was made locally and gained popularity for its distinctive character. Traditionally, Dong Ding Oolong was not significantly roasted. It was simply a fairly well-oxidized Oolong Tea produced in this area. Nowadays, well oxidized Oolong as it used to be made is much less common.

    The roasted factor developed as a result of tea merchants having leftover stock from the previous year or seasonal harvest. So this leftover tea would get roasted and became an alternative selection to the newly harvested crop of tea on a seasonal basis. Consumers in turn developed a taste for this roasted profile, and it gradually became an item on its own.

    This ridge across from Dong Ding Mountain is home to the neighboring Yong Long and Feng Huang Villages and is known for its rich red soil which differs from other locales in Lugu. The unique flavor of Dong Ding Oolong produced here is attributed to this soil quality, along with the fact that these villages are home to the highest population of the most skilled traditional oolong tea artisans in Taiwan.

Customer Reviews

Based on 43 reviews
93%
(40)
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g
guy tedesco
NPS score:
0 (Not at all likely)
10 (Extremely likely)
Likes: reasonable price for taste experience
Improvements: n/a
good intro selection to oolongs

glad i bought this in the intro package. if i am on a tight budget eco cha has the best prices i could findl
this tea has very simple characteristics. i noticed the astringency which was not over-powering. this surprised me in a low priced offering.
recommend if one can't afford higher end dong ding oolongs.

C
Caulen

A staple of the everyday

H
Hannah Goldfarb Gerber
NPS score:
0 (Not at all likely)
10 (Extremely likely)
Likes: Presentation
Improvements: Nothing!
Love the quality of the company and this tea!

Read my review at buddhamumtea.com for more info.

C
Christy
Satisfies the taste buds!

Wonderful roasted taste and aroma! Full bodied and sweet. Great tea to drink on a chillier day with some honey

F
Flora
good dong ding!

In general I prefer light high mountain oolong and unroasted oolong, but this dong ding is great that the roasted flavor is a pleasant add-on. The smell and the sweetness of the tea is just great!