Noah's Dong Ding
This is our most mature, nuanced take on traditional Dong Ding oolong. It is painstakingly processed in the old, slow methods and roasted with an eye towards ultimate depth and aging potential* with no compromises. This means it takes longer to finish than our Salt of the Earth Dong Ding (not necessarily darker, just slower), and the base material is finer, so the price is higher. This is the same material that would go into Mrs. Su's finest Dong Ding Traditional A.
Each micro-batch is different, but our litmus test before we decide to release a batch of this tea is that it is full in body, expansive in the mouth and can spread out to cause a long lingering aftertaste in the throat. The roast lends it a pleasant toastiness like that of toasted grains, but not an outright charcoal flavor as you might find in dark Tie Guanyin. It is a textural tea with bold, mouthwatering development that reaches into the belly with a warm, grounding feeling. This is a tea that we feel represents the heart and soul of Taiwan. Hearty, genuine, hospitable and unpretentious.
We roast in tiny batch sizes, and your batch will be identified by the roast date written on the bag. We are currently selling a batch finished on March 23rd.
If you're going to try one tea from Floating Leaves, we hope it will be this one. Dong Ding has taught us so much over the years, and we want to share it's humble, heartfelt beauty with you. It is our unofficial flagship tea.
Make sure to brew with boiling hot water - and pre-warm your teaware. This tea loves the heat.
*Note on aging :
Due to its special roasting method, this tea is an excellent candidate for aging. We find it really blooms in 3-6 months after the roasting date. If you can wait 2 years, you'll have something that far outperforms what you paid for. In 7-10 years magic can happen. That's the beauty of traditionally processed and roasted Dong Ding, unlike modern versions it gets better over time.
Facts
- Harvest Location : Dong Ding, Nantou, Taiwan
- Roast Date : 2025 February
- Cultivar : Soft Stem [Ruan Zhi Wu Long]
- Farming : From a garden regularly tested by SGS as having 0% pesticide residues
Podcast Episode