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!
