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Don't worry, it's not what you think. This tea is famous is the oolong world, but can sound a little off-putting if you don't know the history. The leaves are large and soft and go through a multi-step oxidation process to enhance the honey-like aroma. Steamed, the leaves have an irresistibly full, creamy, toasty, floral-sweet aroma. The first steep is buttery smooth and rich with notes of sweet cream and fruit. Each steep opens new notes in the leaf and the tea gets progressively more floral and green as the toasty fire notes recede. This tea will go for many steeps and is best enjoyed with an aroma cup to fully enjoy all the of aromatics it can offer.
Dan Cong oolongs are plucked form Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong, China. The term "Dan Cong" translates to Single Bush, which historically meant that the tea was all plucked from the same tea tree. More commonly it is used to describe teas from Phoenix Mountain which have been plucked from the same cultivar and are allowed to grow into large trees. They are famous for adopting various aromas and this tea is no different.
According to legend, the farmers who made this tea plucked the leaves from tea trees growing in soil that was a yellowish-brown color. The tea was so exceptional, they called it Ya Shi Xiang (Duck Shit Aroma), hoping to prevent people from stealing their tea or taking cuttings from their trees. Think of it like the old Greenland/Iceland switcharoo. It didn't take long before word got out about how good the tea was, though, so here we are!
Process: Organic Harvest: Spring, 2024 Origin: Guangdong, China
Here is an intriguing offer for the adventurous oolong lover. This oolong is made in Kagoshima, Japan from the second flush benifuki cultivar. Known for its astringency and bold flavor, benifuki softens a bit in the summer, and makes an interesting starting point for producing an oolong. Best flash-steeped in a gaiwan, this oolong has similar characteristics as a baozhong, but with more umph. Sweet and floral at the start, with a lingering dryness that keeps you wanting more.
We first introduced this tea the second year Yasuhisa Ueno produced it. It was a hit, and we sold out almost immediately. In the years since, the flavor has not matched so we did not carry it. However, upon visiting Japan this spring, we were delighted to find that he had been ageing the same lot we originally purchased 7 years ago. The ageing has done amazing things for the tea, making its flavor fuller, rounder and even smoother than before. We are so happy to have a limited quantity available to share.
This spring, we made two sourcing trips to China. We brought back many favorites and several new teas. However, we also found some teas that were in extremely limited supply and/or were too pricey to carry in our regular lineup. These teas we bought small quantities of to ONLY offer in these boxes.
Introducing: the 2024 Best Of Box. Inside are 4 teas only available here. Each tea has about 5 gongfu servings, depending on how you steep it. Each tea is sealed in a biodegradable bag, with steeping recommendations and packed inside a gift box.
2008 Aged Tieguanyin | 1oz. | Crafted by Master Zhou, this organic oolong is medium roasted and has been aged 16 years. Each year, he sets aside some of his favorite tea from the year's harvest to be aged and brings out a little to share each consecutive year. Competition Grade Longjing | 1oz. | This Pre-Ming Longjing won an award for best flavor in the Longjing category this spring. The small leaves offer a soft, yet vibrant cup of a truly spectacular Dragonwell. Charcoal Roasted Ao Fu | 0.5oz. | This is the personal favorite of Master Lin, who crafts all of the DanCong teas we carry. Ao Fu (Barley Aroma) produces the smallest volume of all of his cultivars and the flavor is unlike any other he offers. Dong Ding Shui Xian | 1oz. | Similar to last year's "Honey Roasted", this Shui Xian cultivar is grown on Dong Ding Mountain, heavily bug bitten to enhance the honey aroma, and roasted to perfection. Perfectly balanced and a special treat.
*We only have enough tea to make 50 boxes, so these are extremely limited*
One of our most popular teas! The leaves of the Black Honey Oolong are gorgeous, curled, first-flush tips from the Luye township in Southern Taiwan. The aroma of the dry leaves is so sweet and intoxicating, but nothing compared to the steeped honey-like fragrance and flavor. This tea is grown on a single organic farm run by a woman and her son. The region is home to a type of bug called the leaf hopper, which bites the tea plants and sucks the nectar from the leaves, causing the fermentation process to begin while the leaves are still on the plants. When these leaves are plucked and oxidized, the result is a naturally honey-like sweetness within the leaf. Several other growing regions try to replicate this process, but this is where is occurs naturally.