Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, tightly rolled
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 195
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: gold
I’m not always a fan of jade style oolongs. They are often too green for me but this Dong Ding from Palais des Thés had just the right amount of balance. Prominent floral notes gave way to a pleasant vegetal background. There was a sweetness that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Marzipan without the cherry? Toasted coconut? Needless to say, it was delicious! The mouth-feel was fairly thick with an almost buttery texture. It resteeped very well, staying strong through at least six infusions. This tea is a bit lower grown so it didn’t quite have the complexity of a high mountain oolong. It was still a very decent cup of tea though. I decided to try preparing this tea in a western fashion according to the directions provided as well as in a gaiwan. Unsurprisingly the gaiwan was my preferred method. The teapot tea tasted just fine but was a bit too thin for my liking. Their Grand Cru line is a bit pricier the teas are very good quality. The Tawarmarine Shincha Ichibana was a definite favorite when I reviewed it earlier this year.
Dong Ding Jade Oolong Tea sample provided by Le Palais des Thés.