Handmade Dong Ding 2025

This year's Dong Ding is clean and extremely balanced, with a mild roast that enhances the superior character of the leaves rather than masking it. Clear notes of dried plum and sugarcane emerge early on, followed by a subtle vegetal flavor that adds depth. The tea has a smooth, steady character — not flashy, but deeply satisfying. The well-judged roast lets the tea’s natural sweetness and structure shine. Compared to the 2024 version, this harvest leans more toward clarity and balance than savory intensity. A refined expression of Dong Ding craftsmanship, it rewards connoisseurs with remarkable poise and persistence in the cup.

Written by Mauzi

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.