Dong Ding is the mountain in Nantou where Taiwanese oolong production started, and the traditional style there is a medium oxidation followed by a real charcoal roast. Modern producers often skip that roast; this one does not, which is why the cup is amber rather than green and tastes of toasted grain and caramel with orchid underneath. The fire adds warmth without hiding the flower, and the tea ages well for a few years. Ninety-five degrees, six grams to a small pot, and short steeps that you stretch as the leaf tires.
The Iron Goddess of Mercy, lightly oxidised in the modern style. Rolled pellets open into orchid scent and a creamy body. The finish runs long and sweet.
Grown above 1,200 metres in the Ali Shan range of Taiwan. Buttery in texture with a persistent sweet-floral finish. Mist and altitude do most of the work.
Roasted rock oolong from the Wuyi cliffs. Mineral and dark-roasted up front, with stone fruit underneath. It opens over many steeps rather than one.
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