Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Superfine Taiwan Moderately-Roasted Dong Ding Oolong Tea by Teavivre

4273 tasting notes

This was a free sample provided in exchange for review by the lovely and sweet Angel over at TeaVivre. I really enjoyed the other Dong Ding sample that I tried, so I’m pretty excited to try this one as well, especially since I tend to love the medium-roast style oolongs. The irregular pellets are a dark olive green in color, with a lot of brown tones from the roasting process. They smell very sweet in a clear, sugarcane kind of way, and I can also smell nutty and grassy notes.

Wow, the steeped liquid smells amazingly sweet and nutty with slight grassy or vegetal undertones. This tea tastes super nutty and comforting, with a bit of that autumn leaf flavor I often find in roasted teas. There’s also a mellow sweetness throughout the sip, and it’s somewhat honey-like but I think it reminds me more of some type of fruit. In fact, there’s definitely a slight fruity note that’s especially clear in the aftertaste, I’m thinking starfruit or apples. I can definitely see similarities between this tea and the Gui Fei that I have in my cupboard. Yum!

Flavors: Apple, Autumn Leaf Pile, Floral, Grass, Honey, Roasted Nuts, Sweet

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing