So this past summer I got this 2020 Spring Competition Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Three Flower Grade, from ttc. I absolutely loved it. Deep flavor, body etc. everything I like in a good roasted dong ding.
This year I saw ttc had the same one but in big tins Yuwen’s 2022 Spring Competition Jin Xuan Dong Ding Oolong Tea, 3 Flower Grade. So I ordered it. I opened the tin box with such excitement to be left disappointed. It tasted very woody and a bit stronger roast almost like I could taste the burned wood in the fireplace in the back of my throat kind of feeling. Nothing like the 2020 one, not even one hint of sweetness nor enjoyable. Mostly dry straw type.Do you think I should let it alone for some time and then try again? May be it’s too young to be drank now?
Thx
Dong ding spring 2020 vs 2022
Why would it be the same? Each year someone else wins... also does it mention that it actually won the competition? A few notes on that:
– Sometimes teas in TW are called "competition" tea as it refers to a certain style requested by the judges. Does not mean anything by itself in relationship to quality. Myself I had quite a fair share of awful "competition-tins".
– Competition teas (even if the won) something are more of a marketing tool, not an indication of good tea per se.
– there are lots of differen competition with different criteria and recognition in the tea industry. Never forget that a competition is also a means to make money for whoever organises it.
– Competition tins are also heavily faked. Some have identifying seals and labels to challenge that.
– 2022 is fresh. So it might need some time to rest from the roast. Too much fire as they say.
– Last but not least, we also do change... always take into account that our own palates may see some refinement over time and/or our body chemistry might have change.
Anyways, my few cents...
The tea you enjoyed had rested for just over 2 years. The fire should be well and gone after two years but there are additional changes that occur before this happens. Remove the vacuum and let the tea rest for 3-6 months and try it again. The fire should be nearly or entirely gone but it will still be roasty. Expect additional mellowing as it rests longer.
Bok wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 6:41 pmWhy would it be the same? Each year someone else wins... also does it mention that it actually won the competition? A few notes on that:
– Sometimes teas in TW are called "competition" tea as it refers to a certain style requested by the judges. Does not mean anything by itself in relationship to quality. Myself I had quite a fair share of awful "competition-tins".
– Competition teas (even if the won) something are more of a marketing tool, not an indication of good tea per se.
– there are lots of differen competition with different criteria and recognition in the tea industry. Never forget that a competition is also a means to make money for whoever organises it.
– Competition tins are also heavily faked. Some have identifying seals and labels to challenge that.
– 2022 is fresh. So it might need some time to rest from the roast. Too much fire as they say.
– Last but not least, we also do change... always take into account that our own palates may see some refinement over time and/or our body chemistry might have change.
Anyways, my few cents...
thank you Bok for your input. I will give it a rest for some time and see what that does. I've never bought a tin before, also the price for 300gr was quite affordable. I can't read Chinese so I can't tell from the tin if it won. ttc says that it participated in the competition. {{ The process from selection to finished product lasted 6 months, in this case. Yuwen, our Tea Maker, has always resisted participating in such competition under her own initiative (her teas received many international awards under our customers names) until last year. She will never brag about it, but it needs to be said that all the teas she submitted up to today have all received awards up to a Gold Award in the Spring 2019 of the same competition. }} so it looks like it won previously accordin to the website description.
I still have a little left of that 2020 and tried it again this morning. Just like I remembered it, full of taste, amazing.
It will be interesting to see what will come out of it after I let it rest.
thx again!
Last edited by Teafortea on Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks Baisao. will do that. Hopefully it will turn as good as the other one, if not... oh well, worth the experience.Baisao wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:28 pmThe tea you enjoyed had rested for just over 2 years. The fire should be well and gone after two years but there are additional changes that occur before this happens. Remove the vacuum and let the tea rest for 3-6 months and try it again. The fire should be nearly or entirely gone but it will still be roasty. Expect additional mellowing as it rests longer.
If it’s quite affordable (relative as that is), chances are high it only participated… winners will cost a lot more than if they hadn’t won.
As for the marketing talk of the vendor I just mute that as distracting background noise and let the tea talk…
As for the marketing talk of the vendor I just mute that as distracting background noise and let the tea talk…
Yuwen’s 2022 Spring Competition Jin Xuan Dong Ding Oolong Tea, 3 Flower Grade
I had this one tucked away since the last time I posted. Whoah what a change!!
I had never done this experiment before and besides being a tea drinker for years, I still consider myself novice. So very excited to find out that this tea had turned out amazing.
Round, full of aroma and very tasty.
I had this one tucked away since the last time I posted. Whoah what a change!!
I had never done this experiment before and besides being a tea drinker for years, I still consider myself novice. So very excited to find out that this tea had turned out amazing.
Round, full of aroma and very tasty.
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So now you will buy some this year to drink next year?Teafortea wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:22 pmYuwen’s 2022 Spring Competition Jin Xuan Dong Ding Oolong Tea, 3 Flower Grade
I had this one tucked away since the last time I posted. Whoah what a change!!
I had never done this experiment before and besides being a tea drinker for years, I still consider myself novice. So very excited to find out that this tea had turned out amazing.
Round, full of aroma and very tasty.
new excuse now to add more hehe
There’re about 6,000 tea samples enter The Lugu Farmers' Association Dong Ding Oolong Tea Competition each year. 15% of which are awarded “3-blossom”, which translated to about 900 teas. Chances are, even if you buy 2 tins of this 3-blossom prized teas of the same year, you would likely get 2 totally different ones.
Tor wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 3:32 amThere’re about 6,000 tea samples enter The Lugu Farmers' Association Dong Ding Oolong Tea Competition each year. 15% of which are awarded “3-blossom”, which translated to about 900 teas. Chances are, even if you buy 2 tins of this 3-blossom prized teas of the same year, you would likely get 2 totally different ones.
Which is why the really best don’t bother entering this sort of competition in the first place 
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