Handmade Dong Ding 2023

Do not let yourself be fooled by the rather ruffled looking leaves—this is a masterfully produced, medium-roasted Dong Ding worthy of your full attention. It greets you with the warm and comforting smells of roasted hazelnuts, milk with honey, and light florality. After a short interlude of refreshing and light minerality, be prepared for an ever-increasing sweetness and a smooth, milky mouthfeel. On top, just a touch of cinnamon—completing a deeply inviting tea experience that just wants to be shared with family and friends. And while you are at it, make sure you check out our Handmade Dong Ding 2024 as well, to explore the different kind of comfort created by spring and winter harvests.

Written by Sven

About the farmer and sourcing

This tea is a rare example of traditional production methods, and was not at all easy to find. The farmer Su Wenzhao is one of very few, if not the only tea master left in Dong Ding village, who is still producing Dong Ding completely by hand. Drawing on a lifetime of experience, he fires each batch of tea in the wok and rolls the leaves by hand, while the vast majority of other producers has long shifted to using machines for both steps. Su Wenzhao is as protective of his family as he is of producing Dong Ding in the traditional way, so it was not easy to convince him of taking a photo. Below the YouTube video we recorded while sourcing this tea.