2026 Dong Ding Oolong Tea, USDA Organic

Update on the current batch.

More roast than last year’s batch, which brings it closer to the “classic” level.

What’s inside: the signature taste of baked cream bun, fruit jam, coffee beans and chocolate. The aftertaste brings a lovely note of juicy fresh-cut grass that contrasts nicely with the coffee-and-chocolate body.

In a good Dong Ding, the roast fades beautifully over time, leaving cinnamon and other spices behind. In short, a good Dong Ding can and should be stored and aged. We usually don’t bother, we sell the current batch and buy a fresh one. So that part is up to you.

/upd.

The aroma of the warmed leaves tells us: there’s milk chocolate and fruit hiding inside the gaiwan.

The fragrance of the liquor offers even more epithets: shortbread cookies, cinnamon, buckwheat honey, milk chocolate, and a mix of apricot, plum, and peach jams — in short, stone fruits.

The oolong drinks incredibly easily — almost unusually easy for a young Dong Ding. Which immediately makes you want to increase the steeping time, and that’s exactly what I did. The longer exposure adds a touch of astringency, tannins, grassy notes, and wild strawberry nuances to an already rich bouquet. I’d say this is the melody I’d mark as the optimal one for myself.

I stepped out of the room where this Dong Ding was being brewed and, returning five minutes later, caught a clear impression: the room smelled like milk chocolate with a fruity filling. A wonderful profile — balanced and beautiful. The aftertaste is long, oily, with a grassy–wild strawberry–chocolate theme running through it.

I don’t usually notice any particular “effect” from oolongs; for me they’re either dessert teas or, on the contrary, teas to get you going.

But for a cheerful company that appreciates refinement and attentiveness, this tea will be a real treat — it creates a genuinely festive atmosphere.

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