Medium Roast Dong Ding

Notes of open flowers, caramel, spiced plum, and clove.

Medium Roast Dong Ding is a balancing act of whimsy and depth. This oolong is built on a Taiwanese floral high mountain oolong with a mesmerizing 50% roast that bakes a light caramel into the tea. I consider this tea to have the essence of artful preparation paired with ideal growing conditions.

High mountain oolongs grow with smaller leaves because of the increased altitude. Because of this the floral notes in the leaf become more concentrated and sought after. Non-roasted high mountain teas have a beautiful elegance that is some delightfully ephemeral, with a taste sweetly evaporates. But when those same high mountain oolongs are roasted a new depth appears that is very dynamic.

I enjoy when a tea has multiple lines of direction. For instance, this Medium Roast Dong Ding has floral notes with an upward moving sensation or energy, and it also has grounding notes from the roast with a downward moving energy. This dual movement is quite lovely to experience.

Dong Ding is one of the great tea mountains in central Taiwan, and this tea comes from the Lugu township in Nantou county, home of Dong Ding mountain. This oolong uses the famous Qing Xin cultivar, brought from China during the Qing dynasty. Qing Xin, also known as Gentle Green Heart is very delicate and only suitable for high mountain growth, but it’s hard-earned flavor profile has notes of plum, cloves, and honeysuckle.

Brew this oolong with 200 degree water using 30 second infusions. The first infusion will be a light preview of the floral notes, while later infusions will quickly bring out the depth of the roast.