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"Frozen Summit" Dong Ding Oolong Tea (Taiwan)

$41.00

The Emperor of All under Heaven once asked the wise tea master Lao Cha:

– Tell me, what happened to the seed of the tea tree from the famous Wuyi Mountain that we sent to Taiwan almost two hundred years ago?

– It did very well, your majesty. It was planted in the dense forest on the frozen summit of Dong Ding Mountain, 1000 meters above sea level. There it acquired its unmistakable fruity, honey, and caramel-like taste. You’ll feel like you are having a cookie when you drink this tea.


One exceptional Taiwanese tea is Dong Ding Oolong, and it is indeed a well-known Taiwanese favorite. Other notable names for this loose-leaf oolong tea are Tung Ting, Frozen Summit, or Frozen Peak.

Legend has it that a young student from Lugu township went to Fuzhou to attend an exam in the Qing dynasty. As he was poor, he received sponsorship from a man of the same clan called Lin Sanxian. The student offered him twelve of the thirty-six Qing Xin oolong tea seedlings he had collected from WuYi Shan while in Fujian to repay his kindness. Lin Sanxian planted those tea seedlings on the foothills of Dong Ding Mountain, bringing both the tea cultivar and the habit of tea drinking to Taiwan.

The environment where the tea grows directly correlates to the name "Frozen Summit." In fact, "Dong Ding, or "Frozen Summit", is the name of the mountain itself. There, farmers plant tea trees at 1000 meters of altitude. The tea garden gets plenty of sunshine in the mornings, but fog covers it entirely in the afternoons. High altitude, dense forest, and good soil naturally create favorable growing conditions for tea trees. Thus, the above factors result in the intense, easily recognizable oolong tea taste and the sweet aftertaste of a typical Dong Ding Oolong Tea.

Farmers produce our Dong Ding Oolong using traditional production methods. To illustrate, a classic version of Dong Ding Tea involves roasting it at a low temperature for several hours. The result is an incredibly comforting, toasty taste with multiple complex layers of flavor and aroma. However, nowadays, many farmers also choose to make a non-roasted version of this tea because it is much easier to produce and because many enjoy the slightly more floral taste.

When sipping this Taiwanese tea, enjoy the sweet and fruity taste of the lightly peach-colored brew. A clear fragrance with overflowing osmanthus notes will mark a smooth entrance for this tea experience. The flavor will further transform, revealing the warming taste of freshly baked oatmeal cookies, nutty nuances, and sweet flowers going down the throat, only to return as an elusive yet unmistakable aftertaste that can last for hours ahead.

Classic Taiwanese oolongs like our Dong Ding Tea come tightly rolled into balls. We recommend choosing a teapot that gives it ample space to open and expand. Gaiwan is also quite suitable for brewing this delicious Asian tea.

 

  • Place of Origin: Dongding, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
  • Altitude: 1000m
  • Harvest Date: April 2023
  • Roast: Medium
  • Picking Standard: One bud with one or two leaves
  • Aroma:  Oatmeal cookie aroma
  • Taste: Sweet, roasted flavor with fruity notes. Slight caramel and honey finish.
  • Cultivar: Qing Xin (aka Ruan Zhi / TRES #17)

   

Brewing guidelines:

       205℉ / 95℃ 

1g per 50ml   3-4min

     1g per 20ml   10sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion 

Customer Reviews

Based on 19 reviews
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C
Carolyn
BEST OOLONG EVER

I just love this dong ding Oolong. I've tried others from other vendors. None compare. It's the best. I've purchased so much of it! 💯 recommend, but only because I already bought 500 grams and don't need to worry about running out soon. :)

D
Dan
Excellent evolution in flavor for Gong Fu

I used 5g tea Gong Fu style with just enough water to generously cover leaves each time for 10 steeps at 10/20/25/30/35/40/50/60/90/120” at 195 degrees. The evolution of flavors was delightful. Started out very roasty and slightly nutty with pleasing astringency at the beginning and ended very smooth and dark honey sweet at the end of the session. Sweeter with each brew. This one’s a keeper!!

K
Keith
Outstanding all arounder

I’ve been a slight fan of oolong tea for quite a while but have mostly been a green tea person. Most of my green tea comes from one source in Japan and it has set a really high standard for my expectations of tea and the price it cost. So trying to find a high quality traditional oolong from a consistent and reliable source was actually harder than I expected. Path of Cha is that source! I’ve tried about 6 or 7 of their teas and all have been high quality but finding that perfect example has been hard with all the choices they have. I actually bought this tea on a whim and it hit every box. Light, floral but also rich. By far the best oolong I’ve had yet. Period. Thank you all for the consistent high quality.

M
Manuel jensa
an unparalleled delicacy and elegance

I regularly drink teas that seems better than this in flavor, intensity and structure. After having deepened, studied, verified, in the long run I realized that this oolong has an unparalleled delicacy and elegance, what seemed at the beginning to be my idea of "best" met the rationality that I verified in several main aspects. After compared the leaves, checking the structure, I was able to ascertain how much attention was paid to the details for this tea to be produced, and in the end all its aspects convinced me by confirming that I had trusted the right person. I was looking for a special tea and I found it. Sublime! Forgive me my bad English, at onihagi I have an art gallery and perhaps the knowledge of tea is something else and it is not easy to describe this oolong without perfect command of the language.

E
Emily
Delicious, light, and roasted

I first tasted this one in a small sample pack. The lightly roasted flavor instantly grabbed my heart. If I had to choose two teas to drink for the rest of my life, it would be this Dong Ding and the Award Winning Milk Oolong from Path of Cha.

This has everything I love about light oolongs: a mild flavor, light brew, slow caffeine, and deliciously creamy. But the medium roast adds just a touch of a nutty flavor that lingers in your mouth and nostrils. Love it!