Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our aged oolong is sourced from the Dong Ding tea growing region of Nantou County in Taiwan and was harvested in the spring of 2003. The varietal is Si Ji Chuan also known as Four Season. Our aged oolong was crafted by blend master Chen Pei Wen and is re-roasted every 2-3 years to minimize moisture content. 2003 Reserve Four Season Oolong is a rich full-bodied silky tea. The charcoal-colored leaves of this smooth oolong produce notes of honey suckle, bark, and grass and has a natural sweetness with no astringency present. This tea is also low in caffeine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf of this 2003 Reserve Four Seasons Oolong Tea from Butiki Teas surprised me a little. Normally, when I smell an Oolong, I smell floral notes, or sometimes hints of vegetation or sometimes fruit tones. I didn’t smell any of these notes … instead, I could detect notes of earth and even a pipe tobacco-y kind of scent. My SororiTea Sister, Azzrian, described the scent as
reminiscent of a campfire, or an old library, slightly musty, with a hint of leather
and yeah … I get those comparisons as well. It definitely has an “old” kind of smell … like something I’d associate with a distinguished, elderly, well-read gentleman who smokes a pipe.
Given the hint of earth to the aroma, I expected this tea to have an almost pu-erh-ish kind of flavor to it, even though it’s an Oolong. And it does have a flavor that is vaguely similar to that of an earthy pu-erh. But it is also very Oolong-ish in many respects … like a dark, charcoal-roasted Oolong.
It is indeed earthy, but I do not find the earthy tones to be overwhelming or off-putting. I like the way these earthy tones mingle with the roasted notes, creating an almost “coffee-like” taste to me. It has a sweetness that reminds me of molasses. Very distant floral notes in the distance … these are almost overpowered by the strong roasted tones, but, if I focus on the flavors I can taste them. In the foreground, there are notes of leather, tobacco and oak. This is definitely a masculine kind of tea … very rugged and yet very distinguished.
I really enjoyed this tea … and I enjoyed taking it through its paces as it delivered many wonderful, delicious infusions. This is one tea that is definitely worth the time to get to know, especially if you’re one who appreciates a truly unique Oolong!
Medium Roast Dong Ding from The Mountain Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Mountain Tea Company
Tea Description:
The slow roasting of this tea gradually caramelizes its natural sugars and sweetens it, imparting notes of caramel, sweet roasted barley, and brown sugar.
Many of the names related to Taiwanese teas are tea-producing regions, tea-making styles, or both. Dong Ding is a tea gardening region in Nantou, Taiwan whose area name has become eponymous with its style of tea manufacturing. Dong Ding teas have a longer oxidization period and are also slowly baked at a high temperatures, with careful attention to how the flavors and aromas are changing throughout the baking process. The result is caramelized sweetness with a depth and complexity that literally makes your mouth water—it’s a phenomenon the Chinese call “Hui Gan.”
Other names: Tung Ting, 炭焙凍頂
Water: 95°C
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Medium Roast Dong Ding from The Mountain Tea Company is Mmmmmmm delightful! Dong Ding Oolong is my all time favorite tea. This tea brings me back to everything I first loved about loose leaf tea.
The mixture of sweetness with savory notes, the highlight of caramel infused with barley. The roasted flavors that remind me of being in the woods, in nature. The caramelized sugar notes, or brown sugar perhaps. I don’t really even care to dissect it as it is just one of those teas that makes me go “Ahhhhhh” and all I want to do is sit back, more like slink back, into the sofa and enjoy.
Now I was a child of the 70’s and Dong Ding has always reminded me of a very specific aroma, an aroma from a very specific plant species. Dong Ding to me has a lofting aroma of a product from this plant. Was that too vague? Either way, I find myself drawn to this aroma in a strange way. Again, child of the 70’s with a hippie father, perhaps it reminds me of my youth. Regardless, it tastes fabulous.
I really love the lingering floral taste the tea leaves behind. Yes, even beneath all the roasting, the caramel notes, brown sugar notes, sweet barley, and woods, this lovely little spring of floral note comes out just barely gracing your palate. Its lovely!
This is not THE sweetest Dong Ding I have ever tasted, and I do tend to enjoy the sweeter Dong Ding Oolongs, however this is one of the more refreshing Dong Ding Oolongs I have tasted. It leaves your month ready and wanting for more without leaving a drying sensation in the back of the throat or mouth. It makes the mouth water in anticipation of the next sip.
Dong Ding Oolong from Far Leaves Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Far Leaves Tea
Tea Description:
A classic Taiwan Oolong, grown high above lugu valley this summit tea has a soaring floral opening and a rich lasting finish
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A truly lovely Oolong, this Dong Ding Oolong from Far Leaves Tea!
I’ve spent the last couple of evenings with this Dong Ding Oolong. It tastes wonderful – with a delicate caramel-like undertone and a delicious nutty flavor, with notes of fruit and flower in the background. It has a lovely complexity that I love experiencing as it unfolds throughout the many infusions it offers.
The first cup (a combination of the first and second infusions following a quick 15 second rinse) is softly flavored, with a mild floral overtone that lacks the sometimes sharper bite that some other green Oolongs possess. This has the sweet, exotic floral taste … but none of that perfume-y bite. The caramel undertones are subtle here, as are the nutty flavors that come to life in the future infusions.
The second cup (infusions three and four) becomes sweeter, with a distinct caramel-y taste. This cup is my favorite of the four that I brewed from the same measurement of leaves, because of this strong caramel-y tone and I also enjoy the way the caramel notes mingle with the nutty flavors … almost like a nut toffee. I also notice a plum-like taste that is delicious.
With the third cup, I find that the floral tones are significantly softer than they were in the first cup, and they seem to have melded with the other flavors to create a unified taste that really isn’t flower, or fruit, or nut, or caramel … but something of a cross of all four distinctly different tastes. The fourth cup (infusions seven and eight) the flavor is very smooth and feels almost like silk on the palate.
There is very little astringency to this cup, and no bitterness at all. It is so pleasant to sip … one of those teas that you want to enjoy over the course of a couple of hours … enjoying the many layers of flavor. Another winner from Far Leaves!
Charcoal Roasted Dong Ding from Tula Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
About Tula Teas:
We are firm believers in the idea that the best teas come from small, family-owned tea gardens. This is not simply a matter of do-gooder wishful thinking, but a high level of firsthand experience with the incredible teas that result from the skilled hands of artisan tea growers and tea masters. The experience, expertise and tradition involved in producing these meticulously hand-processed high-elevation teas dazzle the mind and, more importantly, the senses.
Learn more about Tula Teas on their website.
Taster’s Review:
This is a really pleasant Charcoal Roasted Oolong. When I encounter a charcoal roasted tea, I always worry just a little bit that the flavor is going to have too much of a charcoal-y taste, which can overwhelm some of the delicate nuances of an Oolong.
But here, the charcoal flavor is well-pronounced without overpowering the delicate qualities of the Oolong. I taste a bit of charred wood in the aftertaste, but it doesn’t taste overwhelmingly charcoal-y. In addition, the roasted notes bring the nutty flavors forward, which seems to enhance the sweetness of the overall cup.
This Oolong tends to taste a little less floral and a little more fruity. I taste hints of melon and even a slight citrus-y tone to this cup. These fruit notes give this a juicy quality that is very refreshing and thirst-quenching, and offer a nice contrast to the savory vegetative tones and fresh, herbaceous notes of the cup.
A splendid Oolong. I see that this tea is not currently available on the Tula Teas’ Oolong collection, but, I hope they’ll get it back in stock soon. It’s a good one!
Taiwan Dong Ding (Tung Ting) Oolong from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
The Dong Ding Oolong Teavivre select is among the best ones original from Taiwan. This kind of tea has a high quality and in a leadership among tea market in Taiwan. Dong Ding oolong tea, also know as Tung Ting Oolong traditionally was made from one bud and two or three leaves with fermentation level around 30% that it is also called “delicate elegant Oolong”
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do adore Oolong tea, although I’ll admit that I love some more than others. I never really considered Dong Ding (aka Tung Ting) Oolong teas to be at the top of my list, but this Dong Ding from Teavivre certainly has the ability to change my mind! It’s that good!
The flavor is delicate, it isn’t heavy or buttery the way so many green Oolong teas can taste, it doesn’t inundate the palate with overwhelming floral notes or creamy tones. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when I experience Oolong teas that are very buttery or creamy or floral… but, it’s a nice change of pace to find an Oolong that is so delicate as this Dong Ding.
Incidentally, do you get a chuckle when you read the name “Dong Ding?” I do. It makes me think of Ding Dongs.
The flavor is sweet and floral, yes, but, it is light and refreshing. The palate doesn’t feel weighed down with a buttery or creamy essence. It is a perfect spring-time kind of tea, when you want something pure and naturally light. This tea evokes thoughts of the fresh breeze that wisps through a flower garden. The grass, the flowers, the clean, crisp air … I can taste these elements in this cup.
Subsequent infusions bring a more pronounced flavor, but, it never becomes overwhelming. The first cup (with infusions one and two) are my favorite for lightness, but overall, I prefer the second cup because the floral notes become a little more distinct.
This is the kind of tea that you want to sip over the course of an hour or two, just lingering over the delicate flavors. Relax and enjoy!