The Dong Ding Oolong Tea is a rather renowned Taiwanese oolong that has changed significantly since its beginnings in the '80s to today. When this tea began to conquer the market about forty years ago, it had a high oxidation and underwent a very intense roasting process that made the leaf appear a dark brown color, similar to that of a black tea. These days, while coming from the same area of Taiwan around Mount Lugu, this product is usually oxidized and roasted less, as the general taste today prefers a less smoky and tannic character in oolongs. Regarding the flavors of this new Dong Ding, in our selection we aimed to focus a bit more on the roasting to achieve a deeper taste. During the tasting, one will thus notice the woody flavor nuances and, only in the background, some vegetal notes characterized by a dark and balsamic tone. Compared to the other Dong Ding in our catalog, this one will have a slight bitter note in the aftertaste due to the roasting, revealing a production approach more similar to that of the past compared to the softer and fresher modern style. The Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Taiwan has tightly rolled leaves, with a shiny surface of dark green and military green color, with shades ranging from light brown to ochre at the stems. Once infused, they release floral aromas, roasted nuts, and slightly fresh herbal notes at the finish. In the cup, the liquor appears yellow straw with some rosy reflections. The first infusion of Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Taiwan has sweet hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by light but easily identifiable white flower notes. With the second infusion, the body of this tea becomes denser and oily, with a milky note mixed with floral. A fresh herbal note can also be perceived, completely devoid of astringency, along with roasted hints of hazelnut and caramelized almond. The third infusion brings notes of white flowers that are now much more intense, including wisteria and magnolia. The milky sweetness becomes more pronounced and, combined with the density of the body, evokes cream, milk, and honey. At the finish, a very slight citrus note appears on the sides of the tongue. The first notes that are felt at the first sip of Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Taiwan recall a magnificent floral bouquet of wisteria, lily of the valley, and orchid. Followed by roasted hints of almond and a faint hint of charcoal. The body is dense and almost creamy, and the taste reveals milky and buttery notes, in addition to a hint of vanilla, reminiscent of pastry cream. No bitterness or astringency. The persistence is floral and extremely sweet, enough to leave a sugary sensation on the tongue and palate. Mount Lugu, Nantou - Taiwan. After harvesting, the leaves wither in the sun for a few hours before resting on bamboo trays under cover. From here, oxidation begins with a manual massage of the leaf performed by the master producer. Once the desired oxidation is reached (about 40%), the tea moves on to the next phase, where the leaves go into a coal-heated oven to halt enzymatic activity and fix the product's characteristics. After this phase in the oven, the final shape is given to the leaf by hand, rolling it up to better retain its aromas. The product can now be roasted several times to change its flavor profile and, once dried, will be able to maintain its rolled shape and finally be ready for consumption. We highly recommend infusing this tea using the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, you can use 5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to obtain multiple infusions with different flavors. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, you can proceed with a first infusion of 15 seconds and then, keeping the water at the same temperature, you can increase each time by 5 seconds compared to the previous infusion (15 – 20 – 25 ...). This tea has a longevity of about 6 infusions. For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of one and a half minutes. If you would like to try experimenting with infusions using different amounts of leaves, you should consider the appropriate quantity that allows the leaf to expand freely in the liquid without being compressed. In this way, you will maximize this product without hindering the extraction of flavor substances. The tea can be filtered to facilitate tasting, and the mentioned infusion times are purely indicative, so they can be adjusted according to your personal taste. It is advisable to store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
The Dong Ding Oolong Tea is a rather renowned Taiwanese oolong that has changed significantly since its beginnings in the '80s to today. When this tea began to conquer the market about forty years ago, it had a high oxidation and underwent a very intense roasting process that made the leaf appear a dark brown color, similar to that of a black tea. These days, while coming from the same area of Taiwan around Mount Lugu, this product is usually oxidized and roasted less, as the general taste today prefers a less smoky and tannic character in oolongs. Regarding the flavors of this new Dong Ding, in our selection we aimed to focus a bit more on the roasting to achieve a deeper taste. During the tasting, one will thus notice the woody flavor nuances and, only in the background, some vegetal notes characterized by a dark and balsamic tone. Compared to the other Dong Ding in our catalog, this one will have a slight bitter note in the aftertaste due to the roasting, revealing a production approach more similar to that of the past compared to the softer and fresher modern style. The Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Taiwan has tightly rolled leaves, with a shiny surface of dark green and military green color, with shades ranging from light brown to ochre at the stems. Once infused, they release floral aromas, roasted nuts, and slightly fresh herbal notes at the finish. In the cup, the liquor appears yellow straw with some rosy reflections. The first infusion of Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Taiwan has sweet hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by light but easily identifiable white flower notes. With the second infusion, the body of this tea becomes denser and oily, with a milky note mixed with floral. A fresh herbal note can also be perceived, completely devoid of astringency, along with roasted hints of hazelnut and caramelized almond. The third infusion brings notes of white flowers that are now much more intense, including wisteria and magnolia. The milky sweetness becomes more pronounced and, combined with the density of the body, evokes cream, milk, and honey. At the finish, a very slight citrus note appears on the sides of the tongue. The first notes that are felt at the first sip of Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Taiwan recall a magnificent floral bouquet of wisteria, lily of the valley, and orchid. Followed by roasted hints of almond and a faint hint of charcoal. The body is dense and almost creamy, and the taste reveals milky and buttery notes, in addition to a hint of vanilla, reminiscent of pastry cream. No bitterness or astringency. The persistence is floral and extremely sweet, enough to leave a sugary sensation on the tongue and palate. Mount Lugu, Nantou - Taiwan. After harvesting, the leaves wither in the sun for a few hours before resting on bamboo trays under cover. From here, oxidation begins with a manual massage of the leaf performed by the master producer. Once the desired oxidation is reached (about 40%), the tea moves on to the next phase, where the leaves go into a coal-heated oven to halt enzymatic activity and fix the product's characteristics. After this phase in the oven, the final shape is given to the leaf by hand, rolling it up to better retain its aromas. The product can now be roasted several times to change its flavor profile and, once dried, will be able to maintain its rolled shape and finally be ready for consumption. We highly recommend infusing this tea using the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, you can use 5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to obtain multiple infusions with different flavors. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, you can proceed with a first infusion of 15 seconds and then, keeping the water at the same temperature, you can increase each time by 5 seconds compared to the previous infusion (15 – 20 – 25 ...). This tea has a longevity of about 6 infusions. For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of one and a half minutes. If you would like to try experimenting with infusions using different amounts of leaves, you should consider the appropriate quantity that allows the leaf to expand freely in the liquid without being compressed. In this way, you will maximize this product without hindering the extraction of flavor substances. The tea can be filtered to facilitate tasting, and the mentioned infusion times are purely indicative, so they can be adjusted according to your personal taste. It is advisable to store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
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