As always, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to enjoy another new tea. Especially as I sit in my office reviewing a resume, my day was brightened with the first sip. There is simply something magical about tea. This morning’s selection… Dark High Mountain Dong Ding.
Composition: A Taiwanese oolong tea from the Dong Ding tea mountain.
Dry Visual: Dark green almost brown loose tea shaped similar to gunpowder green tea. Thanks Pearl Fine Teas for the picture.
Dry Aroma: I was very surprised by the sweet aroma of Dark High Mountain Dong Ding. Immediately I could tell it was an oolong, yet there was hint of something different – I am inclined to call nutty. After steeping the wet aroma contained distinct charcoal notes.
Flavor: Delicious. I have developed a great love for oolongs and am quite pleased with the abundance of flavor – Dark High Mountain Dong Ding is fairly robust. It has a roasted flavor that is perfectly balanced with a natural sweetness. The flavor left on the tongue is definitely nutty. The dry aroma did not disappoint. The second infusion produced a milder taste. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of honey which rounded out the roasted flavor. However, I think I prefer to drink without sweetener.
Liquor: A rich amber hue.
Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 30 seconds to 2 minutes. I brewed for 2 minutes during the first infusion and 4 minutes during the second infusion.
Manufacturer: Pearl Fine Teas
Caffeine: Yes.
Dark High Mountain Dong Ding is delicious. A nice spin on some of the other oolongs I have enjoyed in the past. The combination of flavors… nutty, yet sweet, but roasted… creates a very complex tea. If you have enjoyed this tea, stop by and let me know what you think.
I tried to do some research on Taiwanese tea mountains with little success – as I was specifically looking for Dong Ding. I came across several variations of the name for example… Tung-Ting and Dong-Ting both of which refer to one of the largest lakes in China. However, nothing on the tea mountain. Any information would be appreciated.
Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!
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This is amazing! A tea blog (and many more on your sidebar). How wonderful. I will be back for a longer browse soon. G
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Hey Geraldine,
Thanks for visiting and commenting. It is always fun to meet someone new on the net.
Oh, what a fun blog! I’m a total tea addict and I will be back to read more!
mynewhomestead,
Thanks for visiting and commenting. I love to share my tea adventures especially with a fellow addict.
Thanks for visiting and commenting. I hope on this sunny day that you are relaxing with a cuppa tea.
Nikki – Thanks for reviewing our High Mountain Dong Ding. Glad you enjoyed that really special Oolong. It’s a personal favorite of mine as well and not an easy one to find! We are in the process of creating a really amazing gift sampler of teas of this quality in limited edition for the holidays. Ding Dong will probably be a part of it so that others can be exposed to these kinds of leaves. Anyway, I have found that the oolongs I gravitate to are the ones from Taiwain, picked in the early spring. I was recently in Ten Ren in NYC to try one of theirs and it was nice but not as “nutty”. Obviously, Im partial to ours. Enjoy!
tealove,
High Mountain Dong Ding was delicious! I cannot wait to try some of your other teas. I think today will be Jasmine Pearls.