I’ve never understood the fuss about dong ding. I know its a prestigious tea and all, but none of the ones I tried ever made an impression on me. So when I received a sample of this tea with my recent BTT order, I kind of groaned. My cupboard already had two other dong dings which I practically have to force myself to drink.
But when I opened the envelope and took a whiff, I knew this tea was going to be different. Unlike dong dings of past, this one was unroasted and had a sweet floral fragrance. The flavor is true to the aroma. This is such a flower packed tea. Wet leaf smells like hyacinth in full bloom. There is honeysuckle and lilac at the beginning of the sip and a strong osmanthus note as it goes down. The floral overtones are harmoniously balanced by a sweet nectar goodness, which Daylon Thomas correctly describes as tropical fruit. I’m impressed by how natural the tea’s floral tones are.
And boy does it have staying power. It held up admirably through 8 steeps with minimal loss of flavor. Even though I steeped it at high temperatures there was no bitterness whatsoever. Just a tangy lip smacking sweetness that lingers in the mouth.
As someone that regularly drinks jade oolongs, the distinction between them can sometimes become blurred. This one really sets itself apart with its unreal flavor. Thanks to Paul at BTT for an awesome sample!
Flavors: Flowers, Honeysuckle, Nectar, Osmanthus, Sweet
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Sounds like I need to try some of this, I am the same and never took to dong ding from the ones I have tried.
is it full leaf or are the edges trimmed off like in modern tieguanyin?
and has a lot of branches?
Yup, green dong ding tastes like a totally different tea. Roasting seems to strip much of its flavor.
This tea has whole, full leaves. Didn’t examine the branches but there didn’t seem to be any more than usual.
Plus the leaves are pretty big.
Oh yum.
Have you tried this one grandpa, LuckyMe? I’m considering it for my tumbler if I am to get more.
Would love to try it grandpa style but unfortunate I got a bad batch and had it throw it out. :-(
Man that sucks! Was it from a previous harvest?
You might want to hold off if you’re thinking of ordering this tea. I just bought some again during their Chinese New Year sale and for a second time, the tea was stale. This was the Winter 2016 harvest. Thankfully, BTTC was very good about refunding me.
Seems there could be a problem at the farm that supplies them. I’d wait until they can sort out the issue.
Thanks for telling me. I had a gut feeling about it and was glad I went with another option for some Gaoshan.
Sounds like I need to try some of this, I am the same and never took to dong ding from the ones I have tried.
is it full leaf or are the edges trimmed off like in modern tieguanyin?
and has a lot of branches?
Yup, green dong ding tastes like a totally different tea. Roasting seems to strip much of its flavor.
This tea has whole, full leaves. Didn’t examine the branches but there didn’t seem to be any more than usual.
Plus the leaves are pretty big.
Oh yum.
Have you tried this one grandpa, LuckyMe? I’m considering it for my tumbler if I am to get more.
Would love to try it grandpa style but unfortunate I got a bad batch and had it throw it out. :-(
Man that sucks! Was it from a previous harvest?
You might want to hold off if you’re thinking of ordering this tea. I just bought some again during their Chinese New Year sale and for a second time, the tea was stale. This was the Winter 2016 harvest. Thankfully, BTTC was very good about refunding me.
Seems there could be a problem at the farm that supplies them. I’d wait until they can sort out the issue.
Thanks for telling me. I had a gut feeling about it and was glad I went with another option for some Gaoshan.