"The color of this tea is a lovely golden brew and the flavor is naturally sweet and nut-like." Babette’s Teaview: 7.5/10 Other Teaviews: Shelly gave it 7/10, Vanessa gave it 9.5/10, Numi gave it 7/10, Kari gave it 7.5/10, Shane gave it 9.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

Have you ever purchased a tea because of its name? Or, have you avoided one because it created a negative mental image. This is one those teas that, when I first heard the name, assumed that it had been named by a marketing consultant. I avoided it in my early days of tasting specialty teas. And then I was a bit embarrassed to learn that it is one of the most popular Taiwanese oolongs and it is named in honor of the mountain of its origin. The name tells the tea lover a lot about the way in which the leaf is grown, harvested and processed.

Rishi tells us that the origin of this tea is from Chiayi, Taiwan at an elevation of 700 meters above sea level. The dry tea comes rolled into small pearl-sized balls but when the leaves are re-hydrated, you will be able to see the three leaves still attached to the tender, top stem. And this tea gave me 4 very flavorful infusions. I could have added one more infusion for a very mild tea and I strongly recommend you experiment with the length of time for steeping and the number of infusions you enjoy. It always seems a shame to discard any of the leaf if there is still flavor to be enjoyed.

The color of this tea is a lovely golden brew and the flavor is naturally sweet and nut-like. But there are still the subtle “green” flavors so well blended with the partially oxidized “brown” characteristic of a nice mid-range oolong. This is a pleasant tea for someone new to whole leaf tea – wanting a first oolong experience. But I also consider it a great tea for all tea lovers and a good value as well. When I last checked price and availability at Rishi’s website, they were out of stock – an additional indication of popularity and value. You can use their online “Tea Locator” to check for retail outlets near you that might carry Dong Ding Oolong.

— To purchase Rishi Tea Dong Ding Oolong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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