Qing Tian Xiang Green Style Dong Ding Oolong Tea

I haven’t had many green Dong Dings, as the roasted ones are so much easier to find. Thanks, Fong Mong, for the sample. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 190F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.

In the pot, the tea smells like char, roast, and honey. The first steep is surprisingly smooth and buttery, with hints of honey, nuts, grain, and roast. The aftertaste is a bit drying. Steeps two and three continue in this vein, with hints of caramel and chestnut. By steep five, a vegetal quality emerges and the roast becomes sharper.

When I saw this was a green Dong Ding, I didn’t expect any roast at all; I was certainly in for a surprise. Though the roast wasn’t heavy, it definitely imparted a charcoal, nutty flavour. According to my very limited Chinese, “Tian Xiang” translates to “heavenly aroma,” and as promised, the smell was a highlight. I’m not sure I’d buy this again, but it was a tasty Dong Ding that’s perfect for the increasingly cold weather.

Thanks to Fong Mong for this sample.

I started by heating the yixing and giving it a quick shake in the pot. I got a slight aroma of anise, cinnamon and honey. Giving it a quick rinse to wake up the leaves I get a slightly stronger aroma, now with roasted notes, as well as toast and maybe a little cream.

Starting the first infusion I get spices, and toast, it reminds me of cinnamon toast, the roast on this is fairly light. So there is some floral green under the roasted flavors, but the spices are really intense and taking front stage, so Im having trouble picking up some of the under flavors, they might come out more strongly in the later steepings.

Second infusion Im getting much the same, but the anise is much stronger now. Also more honey flavors, and still a slight sensation of toast, as well as a delicate tingle on the tongue. Very nice tea, with good body. The tea liqour is a very light pale brown, its clearly got some roast on it, but its very subtle and light.

Third steeping the roast is much more intense now, as the leaves fully open up. The color has darkened slightly to a honey color now, the honey flavor has also gotten more intense. The liquor is also a little thicker now as well, and there is just a tiny bitter note on the finish of the tea. Im also getting a bit of straw flavor now, which is a bit unusual for an oolong. Much sweeter though, the spice flavor is also dissipating leaving more of the sweet honey flavor.

Fourth steeping , im getting the toasted flavor again, as well as a touch of anise. There is still a tiny tingle on the tongue and the caffiene in this tea is moderately high as Im feeling a slight buzz coming on. Its tasting like roasted honey, or caramel, or something like that now.. very nice, very smooth.

Im going to brew this out a few more times as it seems like a very strong steeper, I highly recommend this tea if you like light roasted oolong.