“What is the grade of the best Dongding Oolong Tea?” The only authoritative grading standard on the market comes from official tea competitions. The grades, in descending order, are Grand Prize, First Class, Second Class, Third Class, Three Plum Blossoms, and Two Plum Blossoms. Aside from these, there is no unified grading standard for commercial teas on the market.
Dongding Oolong Tea Grades in Tea Competitions
Currently, the largest-scale Dongding Oolong Tea competition in Taiwan is the “Lugu Township Farmers’ Association Tea Competition” organized by the Lugu Township Office. Tea farmers submit their entries, which are then blind-graded by professionals. The final selections include the Grand Prize (one winner), First Class (ranked 1st to 10th), Second Class, Third Class, Three Plum Blossoms, and Two Plum Blossoms.
Lugu Township Farmers’ Association competition teas are the most historical and authoritative Dongding teas with the highest number of participants; therefore, award-winning teas can be considered the highest grade of Dongding tea. In addition to the Farmers’ Association, there are smaller-scale competitions held locally by the Dongding Tea Cooperative and the Yonglong Phoenix Community.
Grades of Retail Dongding Oolong Tea on the Market
Retail teas do not have a standardized rating system. If you are looking for good Dongding Oolong Tea, it is best to find a reputable tea merchant (feel free to contact Liao Chang Xing), or rely on your own tea-tasting skills to taste before you buy. Additionally, spring and winter teas generally have better quality than summer and autumn teas; hand-picked teas surpass machine-harvested ones; and Qingxin Oolong varieties outperform JinXuan and Sijichun. You can keep these points in mind when making a purchase.