Last week, I received a box full of samples from Tee Kontor Kiel. Most of the samples are puerh, hong cha and oolong tea. Lately, I have been drinking a lot of puerh, so this package was the perfect opportunity to get out of my comfort zone by drinking an oolong tea. For today’s session, I picked the 2019 Formosa Dong Ding Qingxin Traditional because I’ve had some good experiences with Dong Ding teas in the past.
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2019 Formosa Dong Ding Qingxin Traditional
The 2019 Formosa Dong Ding Qingxin Traditional is a Dong Ding oolong tea from 2019, which you should aleady know by looking at the name. It’s a more heavily roasted oolong from Master Atong Chen and was grown on Dong Ding mountain in Nantou County,Taiwan.
This is a ball-rolled oolong with a dark green colour. I see some stems and rather small and medium-sized balls. The aroma is definitely floral with a sour edge and notes of roasted coffee.
The wet leaves are still floral with a roasted and sour edge, but it also has some traces of oranges. I see medium-sized leaves that are almost fully intact. The colour is green with a brown/red hue.
Tea Tasting
- Water 95°C
- 4g for a 90ml zisha teapot
- 1 rinse
- 6 infusions
Infusion 1 (30 sec): this one has a deep yellow colour and looks really thick. It coats my mouth and it’s full of flavours. The main thing I’m getting is something floral with a roasted nuttiness underneath. I’m also getting a subtle sour edge. Overall, good first infusion.
Infusion 2 (30 sec): it’s not that different from the first infusion, but the sour edge has become more prominent. It’s like a citrus fruit or even a green apple; nothing too intense. The aftertaste is also more noticeable. How weird this may sound, it has some characteristics of roasted floral flavours. It’s floral, but there is also something roasted going on and that is what stays in my mouth the longest.
Infusion 3 (35 sec): it’s less floral and it’s becoming fruitier. The sour edge clearly resembles the sourness you sometimes get when eating a fresh green apple and the slightly roasted undertone adds a pleasant complexity to the brew. The aftertaste has a hint of roasted nuts to it.
Infusion 4 (40 sec): the flavours are shifting towards the floral notes again. It’s slightly floral with a deep and warm undertone. The sour edge has disappeared and I’m getting deeper and roasted notes instead. Aftertaste is not that prominent.
Infusion 5 (50 sec): roasted notes have diminished and I’m only getting subtle floral notes with a very light sour edge. No real aftertaste. I feel the leaves are fading as nothing much is going on anymore.
Infusion 6 (long): it’s good that I did a long infusion because some of the flavours have returned. The main flavours are floral with a roasted edge to it. This infusion is perfect to drink during the summer holiday as it’s fresh and warming at the same time.
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Conclusion
Oolong tea is not something I drink on a regular basis, but this was a good session. I followed the brewing instructions by doing longer infusions from the start and was rewarded with intense flavours. It was mainly floral with roasted notes and a sour edge. Sessions like this one show that getting out of your puerh/hong cha comfort zone can be rewarding. This oolong is definitely one of the better ones I have tried in the last 12 months.
If you want to buy this tea yourself, you can do so over here.
