150g

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A traditional style of Dong Ding Oolong grown on Dong Ding mountain by our friends the Su family. They have been making this rich, hearty oolong with a dedication and adherence to traditional standards for generations. We are grateful for the tea and the wisdom of Mr. and Mrs. Su, as they have been a guiding presence in our life as well as our tea practice since 2008.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Traditional Dong Ding is withered in the sun, oxidized about 30% and given a medium roast to bring out its full aroma, grippy mouthfeel and throat warming aftertaste. We like this tea, not because it is bodacious like High Mountain Oolong or elegant like Oriental Beauty, but because it is solid, grounded and powerful. We call this the 'hero' tea of Taiwan.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>New batch roasted on September 12th here in Seattle</strong></p>
<p class="p1">This is a very different batch of Dong Ding Traditional A, in a good way. We're very satisfied! The roast is not super heavy, but it is richer and darker, well developed like a good stew. Broth is deep amber brown with a thick, mouthcoating feel. Nice and warm in the throat with a concentrated, long lasting aftertaste that slowly transforms from solid and bitter to sweet and refreshing. This tea has a bit more 'growl' than the ones we've been roasting, but still maintains smoothness and an overall sweet AFTERTASTE.</p>
<p class="p1">As we work on developing our own version of Dong Ding, we're realizing that the different material that we're buying from the Su family has very different merits. In the old days (haha, only a couple years ago) Mrs. Su would blend material from a few gardens to accomplish her 'house taste'. And while we appreciate her skill in that, we prefer to find the beauty in each individual tea and bring it out to the fullest we can. So this one does taste <em>very different</em>. We may end up splitting Dong Ding Traditional A into multiple different teas in the not too distant future. For now, just be aware that this one is a fuller, more meaty tea with a bigger presence in the mouthfeel and less in the fruity aroma.</p>
<p class="p1">It also took about four full work days -- or about 40 hours total spread out over a month -- to roast this tea. We are pleased as peaches to see the fruits of our labor. We weren't sure how this experiment would turn out, but the reward is our favorite in-house batch of Dong Ding to date.</p>
<h3 class="p1"><span class="s1">Facts</span></h3>
<ul>
<li>Harvest Location : Dong Ding, Nantou, Taiwan</li>
<li>Roast Date : 2024 September</li>
<li>Cultivar : Soft Stem [Ruan Zhi Zhong]</li>
<li>Farming : From a garden regularly tested by SGS as having 0% pesticide residues</li>
</ul>
<ul></ul>
<h3>Podcast Episode</h3>
<p><iframe data-name="pb-iframe-player" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="122" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/vv2pp-c217b6?from=usersite&amp;skin=1&amp;share=1&amp;fonts=Helvetica&amp;auto=0&amp;download=1&amp;version=1" title="Stories from Dong Ding Plateau" scrolling="no"></iframe> </p>

Dong Ding Traditional A

oolong tea by Floating Leaves

30g

$12.50

Available

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60g

$24.00

Available

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150g

$45.00

Available

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