Hey teaheads.
This is Don from Mei Leaf.
In THIS video tasting TWO GRADES of Dong Ding Oolong.
In this video I'm going to introduce you to my friend Axel, and we're going to see if
HE can tell the DIFFERENCE between two grades of Dong Ding.
This video is going to go under the "Drinking With Friends" AND the "Sample Tea Tastings"
playlist.
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Welcome Axel.
Axel : Hey Don!
How's it going?
Don : Good.
Axel and I have been friends for over ten years.
Axel : Absolutely.
Don : A long time.
Londoner, but you were born in Hamburg, right?
Axel : Yes.
Originally.
Don : But he's fallen in love with London, and he captures a lot of what's going on in
the London street culture scene, so check out his blog, web site.
We'll put all the links in the description below.
But TODAY he's here to taste tea.
Now you DON'T really HAVE much of a relationship with tea, do you?
What's your relationship with tea?
Axel : Yeah.
I would say my relationship with tea is that of MOST people.
So when I'm ILL I drink camomile and peppermint, and for regular use I would go for black tea
tea bag.
Don : Okay.
So the CLASSIC person that we want to convert, right?
Axel : Yeah.
Absolutely.
Don : Okay.
So you've NEVER had Dong Ding Oolong before.
Axel : No.
I don't think so.
Don : Have you ever had OOLONG before?
Axel : I have no idea.
If it's a SMOKY tea maybe I have.
I know something about Gunpowder.
Don : Okay.
That's a GREEN tea.
Okay.
So, this is a really, really great thing, because I LOVE to kind of introduce tea to
people that don't really have a RELATIONSHIP with tea.
One of the things that I always find with people who are NEW to tea is that they're
a little bit APPREHENSIVE, or a little bit SCARED, about having an OPINION about tea,
and TALKING about tea, because they don't really know the VOCABULARY - the words that
they can use - and they don't feel CONFIDENT enough talking about it.
But what we want to try and do today is PROVE that ANYBODY - EVEN Axel --
Axel : Can appreciate good tea.
Don : can appreciate good tea.
Exactly.
There's not rights or wrongs, BUT on this table there is a VERY HIGH GRADE Dong Ding
Oolong, which is a CLASSIC Oolong that's originally from Taiwan, and there's ALSO a MEDIUM GRADE
Dong Ding Oolong, which actually comes from northern Thailand.
So northern Thailand is producing a lot of tea.
We've got a SAMPLE of a Thai Dong Ding, and we've got a sample of our Mei Leaf Dong Ding.
No pressure Axel, but I'm HOPING that you're going to TASTE the DIFFERENCE between them,
and you're going to pick out the TOP GRADE.
Axel : Okay.
Yeah.
I hope so TOO
Don : So what we're going to do FIRST is pull the camera around, and we're going to take
a LOOK at the leaves, and AXEL is going to DESCRIBE them for you.
Here are the two Dong Dings.
We've got Dong Ding A, and Dong Ding B. I'm not going to tell you which one is the high
grade, but I'd like YOU to tell me if you notice any differences between these.
Axel : Yeah.
A is definitely more LOOSE than B.
But MY big problem is that I don't know if that's a sign of BAD quality, or GOOD quality.
Don : Okay.
Let's not second-guess it yet.
So THIS one is LOOSER.
What do you mean by LOOSER?
Axel : I mean, the pellets are BIGGER, AND B looks WAY MORE compressed.
Don : Yeah.
Anything else?
Axel : Maybe more STALKS in A.
Don : More stalks in THIS one?
Axel : Yeah.
I think so.
Don : So more of THESE stalks compared to this
Axel : Exactly.
Don : Yeah.
Compared to this.
The colour is SIMILAR, right?
A similar-ish colour?
Axel : Yeah, although I would say that B look DARKER GREEN, while there's more BROWNS in
A.
Don : Okay.
So you can CLEARLY SEE there's a difference, right?
Axel : Yup.
Don : So if you were presented with this in a shop you would NOTICE that there's a difference
there, but you DON'T KNOW which one represents GOOD tea, and which one represents LOWER QUALITY
tea.
Axel : Yes.
Don : All right.
We're going to pull the camera around, and YOU'RE going to have a taste.
Axel : Okay.
Don : Now I have to brew the TEA for Axel.
We've got 10 grams of each tea, and these pots are about 180 ml of water, so we're going
to be brewing Gong Fu style.
This is Dong Ding B.
Axel : What does that mean?
Don : Gong Fu style is like the Chinese tea ceremony style of brewing, where you're using
A LOT of LEAF to a SMALL amount of water, but then REINFUSING it MANY TIMES.
Axel : Ah.
Okay.
Don : Okay?
So, don't want to mix this up.
This is B, this is A.
We're going to first give the tea a quick RINSE.
Axel : What does THAT mean, because I would just start brewing that.
Don : Right.
ESPECIALLY with ball-rolled Oolongs you want to RINSE it.
The reason for that is NOT because it's DIRTY, but because - you know how the balls are like
really TIGHTLY CLOSED up?
Axel : Yeah.
Don : When you put HOT WATER on it starts to OPEN it, and that means it gets it READY
for brewing.
If you just brew it DIRECT it takes SO LONG for the balls to open up that it starts to
release BITTER notes, and you don't want those.
Axel : Ah.
Don : Okay, so one of the KEY ways of judging - first getting into the SENSES of the tea
- is smell the lid.
So why don't you PICK UP the lid and have a sniff.
Axel : Okay.
Don : Try THIS one and see if you notice any difference.
Axel : Oh, I ALREADY have an idea.
THIS smells quite STRONG and ROASTED, while THIS
Don : Sorry, THIS one smells NEUTRAL?
Axel : Yeah.
I THINK so.
To ME.
Let me try again.
Definitely more SETTLED, a bit SWEET, but compared to THIS one.
Don : Smell THAT one again just so you...
Axel : Yeah.
Ah, but this smells a little bit more BITTER as well.
Hmmm.
Don : All right.
Let's go for the taste.
I want to make sure I brew these at EXACTLY the SAME TIME, so I'm going to brew them one
at a time.
So first THAT one, and we're going to count ... one,.. two... three... four... we should
do about TEN seconds.
Okay.
I think that's one.
Axel : It's quickly.
Don : Yeah, because you can see how the leaf is expanding.
There's a LOT of leaf here.
Then we're going to do the same here.
Axel : What kind of STYLE is it?
Is it like a GREEN tea?
Don : This is an Oolong tea, so it's a SEMI-oxidized tea.
Axel : Oh, okay.
Don : It's kind of IN BETWEEN a GREEN tea and a BLACK tea, but there's a BIG PALETTE
from kind of 20 percent oxidized to 80 percent oxidized.
This is kind of medium to dark.
Axel : Okay.
Don : So we want to wait a SIMILAR amount of time.
I would say ...
Axel : How is the tea getting oxidized?
Don : Okay.
It's quite a COMPLEX process, but they basically have to PILE the leaf, and they CONTROL the
BRUISING of the leaf.
They SHAKE the leaf, or ROLL the leaf, and that releases more essential oils that REACT
with the air
Axel : Ah.
Okay.
Don : So it then oxidizes.
Okay.
It's TASTE time.
Axel : Jeez.
Oh.
Don : Right.
Let's do this.
THIS is Oolong A, and THIS is Oolong B.
Axel : Are there special tea tasting TECHNIQUES, like with WINE.
Don : What you want to do is put the tea in your MOUTH, and then BREATHE OUT through your
NOSE.
When you breathe out through your nose it passes all the VOLATILES in the tea OVER THROUGH
your sense of smell, and you get AROMA.
Axel : Okay.
Don : So, I'm going to taste WITH YOU, and we're going to see if we can taste the difference.
We've got a MEDIUM grade - this is CERTAINLY, by NO MEANS, a LOW grade, a MEDIUM grade - and
a HIGH GRADE, one of these.
Keep it ORGANIZED.
This is A THAT'S B. Let's taste.
Cheers.
Axel : Cheers.
Hmmm.
Don : Hmmm.
Axel : That's really interesting, because they BOTH have a very SUBTLE flavour, and
you know, as I am a HORRIBLE person WHO DRINK tea bags, I'm more used to like a PUNGENT,
SLIGHTLY BITTER.
So it's quite interesting...
Don : Yeah.
You have to explore, breathe out through your nose, start to really TEASE out the flavours
of the tea.
It's NOT just about taste.
It's ALSO about LENGTH, how long the FINISH is.
You know.
There's TEXTURE in tea as well.
I'm not going to BORE you with too much, but just try and give it an OVERALL sense.
They're BOTH good, I have to say.
They're BOTH good Oolongs.
Axel : So my taste can NEVER be REALLY BAD, whatever choice I'm picking, right?
Don : Yeah.
It's NOT like you're going to pick an AWFUL tea.
But let's just see if you can choose the one that has just more of that NUANCED FLAVOR
and INTENSITY.
Okay.
Do you feel like you have a FAVOURITE?
Or is it NOT CLEAR.
Axel : No.
Let me go for a quick third round.
Don : Last taste.
Axel : best of three.
I'm SLOWLY formulating an idea.
Well, should I give you...
Don : Okay.
Moment of truth.
Honestly, I SWEAR to EVERYBODY out there, HE does NOT KNOW.
Right?
You do not know?
Axel : That's true.
I have no idea.
Don : I did not TELL you which on is -- and there IS NO right or WRONG.
MANY TIMES when I do tastings, and I get HIGH and MEDIUM grade, I actually PREFER some medium
grades.
So it's NOT a big deal if you get it wrong.
Axel : That's going to be interesting, because, for example, I REALLY enjoy HORRIBLE BEERS
as well.
So MY TASTE, no chance.
Don : Okay.
No, it's ON THE SPOT.
What do you notice?
And which one is your favourite?
Axel : THIS is A, right?
Maybe I can just quickly say they BOTH tastes really NICE, again, not as POWERFUL as I'm
USED to.
ULTIMATELY, I felt like B had a bit more FLAVOR to it.
Yeah.
It took me a COUPLE OF TIMES to really get it.
So I think B has more FLAVOUR to it, a bit of FRUIT note there, while A tastes a little
bit FLATTER, at least to ME.
Don : Okay.
So, you would say - put on the SPOT, out of absolutely NOWHERE.
You didn't know I was going to do this to you.
Out of absolutely NOWHERE you would say B is the HIGHER grade?
Axel : Uh, was it the one with the smaller PELLETS as well?
Don : Yes, it was.
Axel : Yeah.
I would say so.
Don : Well, you're RIGHT.
Axel : Yes!
Mmm.
Don : So B is the HIGHER grade.
Now, as I said, the THAI Dong Ding is trying to IMITATE the Taiwanese, and they're doing
a REALLY, bloody good job of it.
You know?
It's got a LOT of flavour, but it DOESN'T have the same DEPTH of flavour as the HIGH
grade.
It kind of has a very SHARP finish.
If you try it AGAIN - and now I can talk to you a little about it - you'll notice that
the flavour is there at the START, but then it kind of goes FLAT.
Whereas THAT - the LENGTH of that - STAYS.
It CARRIES.
Axel : Absolutely.
Don : Last taste for me as well.
Do you know what I mean?
It ENDS.
Whereas, taste THIS one you get MUCH more of a ROUNDED note, and it STAYS.
Axel : Yeah.
Don : Like your MOUTH has this LOVELY, ROASTED, charcoally-roasted, deep-fire taste, and this
beautiful NUTTINESS, and SLIGHT FRUITINESS.
Axel : Yeah.
Don : So this goes to show that EVEN somebody who has NEVER tasted Oolong tea before CAN
discern DIFFERENCES in the LOOK and the FLAVOR of teas, AND is successful at choosing TOP
GRADE.
Axel : Yes!
Don : So he's kind of PUTTING ME out of a JOB, which is not necessarily a GOOD thing.
Anyway, that's it teaheads.
If you made it to the end of this video then please give the thumbs-up.
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And let us know if there are any VIDEOS you would like us to make.
If you're ever in London then come visit us in Camden to say "Hi!" and taste our wares.
If you have any questions or comments then please fire them over.
Other than that, I'm Don Mei from Mei Leaf, with Axel.
Thank YOU for being a part of the revelation of true tea.
Stay away from the tea bags...
Axel : I will.
Don : Keep drinking the good stuff....
Axel : Okay.
I PROMISE.
Don : and spread the word, because NOBODY deserves BAD tea.
Bye.