Organic Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Dong Ding Oolong

Thanks so much, CharlotteZero, for a sample of this one. This is a nice switch from the charcoal-like oolong I had earlier today. I don’t think I’ve ever had two oolongs in a day before! This one is nice, but it doesn’t really have a full flavor. I tastetested before the three minute steep was over, and that is when the most milky sweet flavor was present. But steeping for three minutes turns it into a typical but mild tasting oolong. The second steep had even less flavor… maybe it has just been stored in a sandwich bag for too long or something. (I still prefer this to the charcoal oolong.) I really hate the idea that I’m not giving teas a fair review because of something not for the fault of the tea.. like not being stored in the best way possible or it not being a brand new tea. I guess that’s the reason for tasting notes and Steepster in general though!

Buttery? Yes. Light? Yes. Tasty? Yes. I also thought it smelt and tasted of peaches. I found it light and refreshing and very pleasant to drink. Definitely a good tea and one that I shall happily drink again. It has lasted well through half a dozen infusions and its taste is only improved by it being a free sample I received from Berylleb. Bonus!

I would like to say first that Berylleb is an excellent eBay seller- both their products (in my case, teaware) and their customer service have been wonderful. I highly recommend that you check out their store on eBay.

That being said, I was not a big fan of this free sample they sent me with my most recent purchase. I do like milk oolongs, but this one left a too sweet taste in my mouth after I drank it, almost like an artificial sweetener would.

Oh well, I gifted it to another Steepsterer(?), and hopefully they will enjoy it.

I’ve wanted to try this tea for so long. The descriptions were a little confusing with some people not knowing whether or not this was flavored or natural, and I was not sure how strong the overall flavors would be. Berylleb underplays it a little by saying it has a peculiar sweet and buttery taste. After reading the notes and trying it for myself, I can say it has a very pronounced and sweet peach-guava taste in a very floral and buttery background overall. Gong fu is the better way to go because this is a STRONG tea, though Western might be doable with a minimum amount of leaves. Now, I think I might want an amount of it….along with so many other teas.

Considering how long I’ve wanted to try it, I feel validated in that this tea is actually what I’ve been looking for for a while. It is an affordable and sweet oolong with fruit and florals. I’m surprised that not more people like this tea because it is VERY similar to Mandala’s milk oolong-it has a fruit taffy amidst a buttery toffee sweet second steep and gradually becomes more naturally fruity, floral, and vegetal as it is rebrewed. The later steeps are smoother in terms of flavor whereas the beginning is overwhelming-which is why I would recommend steeps of 15 seconds starting off. The body is also fairly thick and sticky in the beginning, and remains full into the later steeps. I got 9 brews, though I went from 15 sec to 30 immediately and brewed it fairly heavy into a 6 minute finale.

The notes that are up: Butter, Fruity, Cream, Guava, Peach, Vanilla, Vegetal, Flowers, is the best description available. Guava is one of the things I picked up immediately, and there were times where I swear it was distinct from the peach. It’s almost like it fluxed from guava, vanilla peach, flowers, and then sweet buttery vegetals in the first four brew sips. Strong flavor is the only deterrent as it really could be too strong for some.

I’d be very surprised if this tea was not flavored, but oddly enough, I think the fruity notes comes from the tea itself whereas the sweet vanilla candy thing is the flavoring. I could be wrong, but the guava-peach thing is something I associate with Dong Dings. It’s why Beautiful Taiwan’s Dong Ding was my favorite at one point. Then again, fruit and vanilla is more pronounced than ‘milk’ is. There were times where the taste felt a little artificial, but the later steeps were very natural.

I’m not sure who I’d recommend this to because it fits more of my personal criteria than a few others. It belongs to Gong Fu Cha in terms of brewing, the sweeter taste would appeal to dessert seekers and those who do not mind flavorings, but it might be overwhelming for anyone if the leaf is not kept down or the brews short. I did not add to much dimension to has already been written about this tea, but all the reviews of it are fairly accurate. It is fruitier than you might expect, and if you like fruity fatty veggie buttery creamy oolongs, this is it for a decent price for $15.99 per 100 grams.

I rate it 95 because of price, flavor, longevity, slight complexity, and preference. I should do it grandpa in a Tumbler Test, or western with less leaves before I make a final judgement, but I have a feeling I need minimal leaves (good thin) and that it is better gong fu. The flavor’s potency and slight artificiality (if it is artificial) is the only thing keeping me from rating it higher or drinking it more often.

One of the first teas that made me interested in Taiwan Oolongs. Butter smell is in pefect harmony with the whole impression.
Personally I steep it around 7-8 times…basically one teaspoon for whole working day at the office.
As Leon and some other members mentioned, I started with less then one minute for first steep time.
Highly recommend!

I don’t tend to like milk oolongs, but Berylleb sends a few of these (in sweet red satin pouches) with every order so I have quite a collection built up, and I thought it was time to try one. In my experience natural milk oolongs tend to be flowery, vegetal and just a hint buttery despite the name. Not my favorite. But this one, from the second you open the bag, is reminiscent mainly of peaches. The smell is incredibly strong, and while the taste is somewhat mellowed, peach is really quite prominent. I can slightly discern the oolong base and there’s a nice amount of creamy buttery flavor. Honestly, it tastes exactly like I remember Peaches ‘n Cream oatmeal tasting like. Is it really unflavored? I’ve never had anything like it.
I’m only on the first steep, but I’m interested in seeing how it progresses.

I ordered the cutest tea pet from berylleb (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/321108625852?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649) for my wife for Christmas, and it came in yesterday. Oh well, she still loves her little green tea friend. And it’s so freaking cute that I immediately ordered another for myself, requesting a blue one, since she’s taking hers to work.

Included with our new tortie friend was two packages of this tea, which is wonderful. I live for milk oolongs. They are, hands-down, my favorite, so I’m super excited to try this one.

I definitely see the peach note, and then it evolves into this wonderfully creamy mouthfeel that leaves the taste of vanilla behind. It’s very, very good. I can’t wait to try this one cold.

However, I have a tin of DavidsTea’s milk oolong, and a tin of TeaVivre’s milk oolong on the way to me (hopefully), so I can’t in any way justify buying any more of this. But if I had room for it, I would be mighty tempted.

I got this tea as a free sample from Berylleb, who is a wonderful eBay seller. I was hooked and have had to come back for more on numerous occasions! This tea is unique! It’s a Jin Xuan cultivar grown on Mt. Dong Ding, so you get that creamy milky flavor of Jin Xuan with some of the fruity flavors of a Dong Ding, likely from the terroir of Mt. Dong Ding.

This tea pulls you in with its enticing peaches and cream aroma. There are generous helpings of cream and fruit flavor throughout every steeping of this tea. In later steepings some subtle floral tones enter the scene. This tea is so creamy, light, smooth, fruity, buttery… and did I mention creamy? I have not had a milk oolong with as creamy of a flavor as this one. There are times I think I’m drinking a melted milkshake, it’s so wonderful. It’s like peache pie a la mode! And this tea is organic and unflavored, to boot! Wow!

I highly recommend this tea to anyone who likes light and sweet oolong. It is a favorite I constantly come back to and one of the teas I often use to introduce my friends to the world of Gongfu Cha and loose leaf teas. Everyone loves it and requests me to make it for them again!

For the perfect steeping, use 4.5g per 100 ml and steep for 45 seconds at 194F/90C. Add 15 seconds to each repeated infusion. After the fourth, start adding 30 seconds. You’ll get consistently milky and light steeps out of it this way and avoid the bitterness and overt floral that can escape from this tea if you don’t handle it properly.

sooo milk oolongs. they’re a thing. sometimes i like them..sometimes i don’t…and i never ever ever ever like the resteep. This one isn’t half bad. What’s strange to me is that i got no buttery sort of flavour that i get from most milk oolongs. instead this was almost more like a peach oolong. but a natural peach, not that weird tim horton’s peach flavoured drink (that of course i loved when i was younger!). on the whole…not to shabby! thanks awkward soul!