Oolong · Lugu Township, Taiwan
Organic Frozen Summit "Dong Ding" Oolong
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Tasting notes
About these tasting notes
These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.
About these tasting notes
These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.
Effects
About these effects
These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.
About these effects
These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.
Dong Ding - One of the famous "Ten Teas of Taiwan"
Dong Ding Oolong (凍頂烏龍) (also, Tung-Ting) is one of Taiwan’s most legendary and iconic teas, originating from the misty, mineral-rich slopes of Dong Ding Mountain (凍頂) (literally, "Frozen Summit").
While many teas today use the Dong Ding name simply to describe a processing style, our selection is the authentic, genuine offering—grown in Lugu Township's pristine, organic conditions and crafted strictly according to tradition. Made from the prized Jin Xuan cultivar (celebrated for its naturally creamy profile), it undergoes a classic medium oxidation (25–40%) and a traditional medium-to-heavy roast. The result is a silky-smooth, deeply comforting cup featuring notes of caramel, honey, and warm toasted florals with a smooth buttery finish.
Notes from Staff: Tea like this comprises less than 10% of the tea labeled as "Dong Ding Oolong" in International/Western markets, making this a rare tea! Its perfect with dessert, a piece of cheesecake, chocolate cake, pies, banana bread, mooncake, or anything you imagine. Very good for both hot and cold brew, making it versatile enough to enjoy any season.
Why charcoal roasting costs more
Most tea today is roasted using an electric method, because it is faster, cheaper, and requires less skill, thus making it more consistent. This tea was roasted the traditional way: by an artisan's hand, over charcoal embers, using low heat over the course of many days under careful supervision. It takes far more knowledge, fuel, and time than electric roasting, but it rewards the tea with deeper flavor and the ability to age gracefully for decades.
Old Mountain Tea Guarantee
Our teas are guaranteed free from harmful chemicals. We source directly from small, clean family farms that take real pride in their work — no middlemen, no anonymous blends. Many of these teas are bug-bitten, and leafhoppers only feed on gardens grown without pesticides, so the leaf itself is living proof the garden is clean. Every tea is grown to organic standards and traceable to the farm that made it.
Origin & Terroir
- Cultivar
About this cultivar
Jin Xuan (金萱), also known as Tai Cha No. 12 or Golden Lily, is a Taiwanese hybrid cultivar developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) and released in 1981. Bred from Ying Zhi Hong Xin × TTES No. 8, it was selected for high yields, resilience, and pest resistance. Today it is widely grown in mountain regions such as Alishan and Nantou, where cool, misty conditions help develop its character. Best known as a semi-oxidized oolong, Jin Xuan produces naturally creamy, buttery, floral, and fruity notes and can also be made into green or black tea. Its famous “milky” character is entirely natural, coming from compounds in the leaf such as lactones, rather than added flavoring.
- Jin Xuan(金萱乌龙) "Golden Lily" Cultivar
- Status
- Rare
- Processing method
- Medium Oxidized(Dong Ding Oolong) (凍頂烏龍)
- Charcoal roast level
Why charcoal roasting costs more
Roasted by hand over low charcoal embers across multiple sessions and days, far slower than electric roasting. It deepens flavor and lets the tea age well, which is why charcoal-roasted teas cost more.
- Region
- Yonglong Village, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
- Harvest
- Spring 2025
- Climate
- Temperate, Misty
- Oxidation level
What oxidation level means
Oxidation is what turns green tea into oolong or black tea — as leaves are bruised and rested, enzymes react with oxygen and deepen their color and flavor. Green tea sees almost none; oolong ranges widely; black tea is oxidized fully.
- Picking style
Why picking style matters
Hand-plucking means workers select each bud and leaf by touch, one at a time — far slower and more expensive than machine harvesting, but gentler on the leaf. As labor costs rise, fewer gardens still pick this way, making hand-plucked tea increasingly rare.
- Hand Plucked
- Bug-bitten level
- 0%
How to brew it
Leaf · 5 g
Water · purified soft water, freshly boiled
First infusion · 20 seconds
Each infusion after · add 15 sec
Up to 12 infusions
Leaf · 5 g
Water · purified soft water, freshly boiled
First infusion · 2 minutes
Second infusion · 5 minutes
Third infusion · 10 minutes
