The roast on this Dong Ding is exquisite, and exemplifies what mastery in roasting is capable of achieving. This tea initially presents itself as being roast-forward, with the aroma of the wet leaf suggesting a charcoal-heavy experience awaits in the cup, but the broth itself is remarkably soft, round, and silky smooth all the way through, with very well-defined flavors that exist in perfect harmony with each other. It’s floral, it’s fruity, and it gets a bit nutty with hints of sweet roots & dessert spices (licorice and cinnamon), especially in later steeps, but all the way through the body remains very supple and oily. It resists turning bitter or losing clarity in its flavor profile, even after a very long steep in freshly boiling water it remains incredibly thick and each individual flavor remains well-defined. The aftertaste lingers for a while and mouthfeel remains complex long after the soup has been swallowed. The element which stands out most to me is just how sweet this tea is. It may be roast-forward in the aroma of the wet leaf, but it’s very much so sugar-forward in the cup, and all of the individual layers of flavor are held together by an element of sweetness that is pervasive across the tea, from the initial sip to the lingering sensations of the aftertaste.
