This is my first tasting note. Although I’ve been blessed with opportunities to taste some amazing oolongs from Taiwanese and Chinese tea connoisseurs, I’m relatively new to the world of oolongs, as I’ve never really ventured past green tea and pu’er due to (what I previously perceived) their higher price, inability to distinguish one oolong from another, and unsure of which one I wanted. This Medium Roast Dong Ding is the second oolong I’ve purchased, the first being Mountain Tea Company’s Jade oolong. That being said, you may want to take my first tasting note with a grain of salt.
I found this tea to be a little tricky to brew, mostly because I’m still new to oolong. I found this tea quite complex in its aroma, flavor, and especially aftertaste. The dried leaves have comforting roasted nutty aroma, and when steeped bring back memories of a camp fire, brown sugar, roasted barley, and wild flowers. The first steep brings out a sharp sweetness and mild astringency dominated by a roasted notes. That sharpness can turn into depth through the aging process. I’m on the look out for a worthy earthenware tea jar.
The second steep is still sharp, but less than the first, with more notes of roasted chestnuts over a camp fire, and subtle floral sweet aftertaste that gradually deepens as it spreads through the mouth.
The third steep tastes pretty much just like the second, with a long sweet finish reminiscent of dried fruits.
Update: I brewed the tea at my parents’ house and the results were quite surprising. The tea was much smoother and tastier, as if it had come alive. Apparently my dad had changed the water filter several weeks ago. Even he noticed how smooth and tasty the tea was. This was an important lesson on the importance of water quality when enjoying tea.