Taiwan Dong Ding (Tung Ting) Oolong Tea

I’ve been working my way through the greenest-looking oolong samples in my possession, and next up was Teavivre’s Dong Ding from Taiwan. According to The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea, this oolong is closely related to TGY, and I have to agree. Legend has it that the Fujian province TGY came first, but no one seems to be sure.

The liquor is yellow with a tinge of green, and the gnarled knots unfurl completely by the second infusion to reveal leaf sets which look to consist of two leaves and a bud. The darkish green color of the infused leaves glistens , making them seem as though they were still alive—just plucked and in perfect condition.

The flavor is floral and creamy lemon—but only very subtly so. There is no citric tartness whatsoever here, and the texture is smooth. I drank four infusions—each batch becoming brighter yellow than the previous—before bidding farewell to these lovely leaves.

(7/30/14)

Another sample from the oolong sample set! I may or may not be trying some more teas from Teavivre this week in advance of the sale. I am definitely getting one those pu-erh cakes before they are gone entirely… it’s my favorite pu-erh! I used an entire sample pouch, two heaping teaspoons. The bright green tightly rolled bundles have the scent of creamed vegetables.

Steep #1 // five minutes after boiling // rinse // 1 min
I was going for boiling on this one, but I was a little late. The flavor here is similar to the Ali Shan I had yesterday from Teavivre. Super milky and creamy. The smoothest oolong ever. It lingers like butter long after taking a sip. There are subtle qualities here that remind me of some of those green teas that have that creamed vegetable flavor, but only hints of that! Another savory oolong, but then there is a sweetness that lingers at the end of the sip. The smoothness with this tea is unbelievable.

Steep#2// just boiled // 1 1/2 to 2 min
As I was sipping the first cup, I was thinking how perfectly brewed it was, or maybe it was just a perfect oolong. Sadly, this cup steeped closer to two minutes and was a little on the tangy side. I really don’t like when a good oolong gets tangy/oversteeped! I think even maybe a minute steep would have been better for this cup, almost because the leaves are already unraveled. I don’t think two teaspoons is too many leaves because the first cup was absolutely delicious.

Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 min
I didn’t really think to shorten the steep time more by this steep, sadly. Another cup of slightly too astringent. I can’t really taste anything past that but dream of the deliciousness of the first steep. That is too bad. By the first steep, this one might have been my favorite of the Teavivre oolongs that I’ve tried lately (other than the Iron Goddess anyway) but it is a very sensitive oolong. Hopefully I remember that for the next steep session. It’s odd it went from the smoothest oolong to the most sensitive about steep times. I have certainly been oolong spoiled lately though!

Note to self: a minute steep for each steep, first steep was perfect

Very sweet. The batch I have is more on the green side. So it has the bready/pastry flavor of DD along with some green and some floral tgy like flavor. I like it <3 . Its a different flavor than the medium DD I got from Taiwan tea crafts, but I can say that I like the both of them.

Light Oolong that is pale green in color and has a steamed spinach and a faint floral aroma. This tea has a little bit of everything in its flavor, I get some floral, some fruitiness, a little steamed spinach flavor, and a tinge of butteriness. None of the flavors dominate the tea’s taste, but I like the way they work together.