We purchased this four decades old Tung Ting in 2009 from a tea merchant who acquired this tea in the 1980s. When he made the original purchase, the tea had already been aging for nearly a decade. One long, low temperature roast was given to the tea and it was then stored until we came across it forty years later.
In appearance, the dry leaves bear little resemblance to the Formosa oolongs of today. The clusters are loose, reflective of an older crafting method where the leaves were placed into a canvas bag and manually rolled. The aroma of the dry leaves speak to the years spent in storage.
We get classic aged notes of dried plum and currants, a combination of aromas so distinct that we opted not to have this tea roasted when we acquired it. The flavor also reflects this aging. The tea brews a liquor that is dark amber in color and sweet in flavor, sans astringency or bitterness. Each sip carries the aromatic profile of the tea to a finish that coats the palate.
SIMILAR TEAS
BREWING GUIDE
Infuser Cup
Water Temp 200 ° F
Steep Time 3 min
Tea Bowl
Water Temp 200 ° F
Gaiwan / Teapot (6 oz.)
Water Temp 200 ° F
Steep Time 3 min
Teapot (12 oz.)
Water Temp 200 ° F
Steep Time 4 min
Our 1970s Aged Tung Ting is naturally sweet with a distinct "aged" character of plums and mint. The best way to emphasize those characteristics is to use smaller amounts of tea and giving the tea a long brew at moderately high temperatures.
In a gaiwan or small tea pot, use 4 grams of tea. Rinse. Brew at 200 degrees for 3 minutes on the initial brew, continuing at 2 minutes 30 seconds on the second brew, and then increasing that in increments of 30 seconds for subsequent brews.
The Aged Tung Ting takes well to larger tea pots as well.
