2024 Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea – 15 Aroma

Heavenly Fragrance “Tong Tian Xiang”

Aroma Type: Heavenly Fragrance/  Tong Tian Xiang (通天香)

Tasting Notes: floral, fruity, ginger flower, honey notes, hint of subtle spiciness in the mouthfeel, lingering sweetness

Tong Tian Xiang, translated as Heavenly Fragrance, which means the strong aroma can be reached and smelled in heaven, precisely described how aromatic it is. Tong Tian Xiang is also a type of Jiang Hua Xiang (Ginger Flower Aroma), it has a unique and charming floral notes similar to the natural fragrance of ginger flower. Apart from its intense aroma, people always mention about the spiciness of this aroma. Of course, it is not that spicy like the ginger, but it has a very unique undertone of spiciness in its mouthfeel. You can feel that the throat is very comfortable, when you smelled and tasted the tea carefully, you can find a delightful floral and fruity notes, with a little hint of milk fragrance and lingering sweetness. 

The yield per plant of Tong Tian Xiang is not very high among the top ten fragrance types of Dancong. Its annual tea production amount is limited, and the transaction price per kilogram is relatively high among the Dancong Tea.

Song Zhong Dong Fang Hong/ Eastern Red

Aroma Type: Song Zhong Dong Fang Hong (宋種東方紅) / Eastern Red

Tasting Notes: strong fragrance, floral, fruity, orange blossom, peach, honey, lingering sweetness

Dong Fang Hong (東方紅) is one of the most premium kinds of dancong tea and is considered the “high fragrance nobles.” Dong Fang Hong, translated as “Eastern Red”. It is also called Song Zhong Dong Fang Hong, as its mother bush belong to a specific variety within the Song Zhong category – “Song Zhong No.1” , with more than 700 years of history, it is now one of the most representative and oldest variety of dancong tea.

Dong Fang Hong belongs to the category of Huang Zhi aroma, known for its unique mellow and layered flavour, which is the result of excellent ecological environment , good quality of tea trees. This limited batch of Song Zhong Dong Fang Hong is made from an old bush, one of the most impressive and high grade dancong tea of this year. It is smooth, full-bodied and layered in its mouthfeel. It is also strong and lingering in aroma with apparent floral, fruity, orange blossom, peachy and honey notes.

Honey Orchid Aroma “Mi Lan Xiang”

Aroma Type: Honey Orchid Aroma/ Mi Lan Xiang (蜜蘭香)

Tasting Notes: rich honey and orchid aroma with fruity, peach, honey and sweet potato notes, hint of roasted fragrance

Mi Lan Xiang is one of the most widely known dancong tea. “Mi” means honey, “Lan” means orchid, Mi Lan Xiang literally means honey and orchid aroma. As of its name implies, it is distinctive in its honey and orchid-like sweetness. As it is lightly charcoal roasted, it has a hint of roasted fragrance with hint of fruity and sweet potatoes notes. The sweetness is well balanced with its floral notes similar to the orchid aroma. Because of this lovable characteristics of sweetness, it is also considered as the entry level of aroma if you have never try dancong tea before.

Ya Shi Xiang “Duck Sh*t Aroma”

Aroma Type: Duck Sh*t Aroma/ Ya Shi Xiang (鸭屎香)

Tasting Notes: strong floral, orchid and honeysuckle flower notes, hint of fruity, honey and milky notes

Ya Shi Xiang is one of the most famous and classic aroma of Dan Cong Tea, which is famous of it strong aroma of “Duck Sh*t Fragrance”. Ya Shi Xiang literally means Duck Shit Aroma.  The name “Duck Shit” aroma has nothing related to any duck poops, there are two main stories for its name: 

Story 1: the tea is having a distinctive aroma, just like the premium perfume. The farmer afraid such a good tea tree will be stolen from others, so the farmer named it as “Duck Sh*t aroma” to prevent the tea tree from being stolen.

Story 2: the tea is grown on the yellowish soil, which look like duck poops. When the tea farmer being asked the name of the tea, he just made it up casually as duck shit aroma, as it is grown on the “duck shit soil”, but there is no duck poops inside of the soil.

Ya Shi Xiang is known as “Perfume of Tea”, it is a prominent representative of highly fragrant Dancong tea. It not only has strong floral, fruity, and milky notes, but also carries the sweetness of honeysuckle flower, earning it another elegant name – Yin Hua Xiang/ Honeysuckle flower aroma. You may find some astringency in the new tea, but a quick hui Gan/ sweet aftertaste will replace the astringency quickly. The taste is very persistence, which can be re-steep for more than 10 times.

Eight Immortals “Ba Xian”

Aroma Type: Eight Immortals / Ba Xian (八仙)

Tasting Notes: strong aroma, various floral, orchid and honey notes, lingering sweetness

Ba Xian, translated as eight immortals – which is the eight famous immortals from the Chinese legend. The tea name is based on a story backed in 1898, there is a tea farmer took some graft of the “Da Wu Ye” tea tree from Qu Zi Liao village, and planted eight tea trees in eight different tea farm separately in Wudong Mountain, the characteristics of the grown trees is similar to each others even they are growing in different environment in the eight different tea garden. As these eight trees just like “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea”, people named the tea as Eight Immortals “Ba Xian”.

When brewing Ba Xian dancong tea, there is a natural Zhi Lan orchid aroma, with a mixed floral and honey notes. It is one of the most aromatic dancong, with an undertone of forest feeling. It is especially lingering in its sweet aftertaste.

Orange Blossom Aroma “Huang Zhi Xiang”

Aroma Type: Orange Blossom Aroma/ Huang Zhi Xiang (黃枝香)

Tasting Notes: layered aroma with floral, fruity notes, with hint of citrus, honey and gardenia notes

“Huang Zhi Xiang” Orange Blossom aroma is one of the high-aroma type of Dancong varieties. It is named for its distinct fragrance of orange blossom. However, its chinese name Huang Zhi Xiang means Yellow Branch/Sprig, why is it called Yellow branch? Is the branches of this tea tree in yellow colour? It is originally being named as “Huang Ju Xiang”(黃橘香)， “Huang Ju” means “Orange Blossom” , and it sound very like “Huang Zhi” (which means yellow sprig) when pronouncing in Chinese. People called it “Huang Zhi Xiang” (黃枝香) because it is easier to pronounce. 

Huang Zhi Xiang is especially special in its unique fruity notes with hint of citrus notes, with high floral notes of orange blossom/ gardenia, it is well balanced with the honey note. The aroma and sweetness is very long-lasting.

Almond Aroma “Xing Ren Xiang”

Aroma Type: Almond Aroma/ Xing Ren Xiang (杏仁香)

Tasting Notes: well balanced nutty and floral fragrance with hint of almond, toasty and milky notes

Almond Aroma/ Xing Ren Xiang (杏仁香) is named after its strong aroma of almond when brewed. It is also known as Ju Duo Zai. Ju Duo Zai means a jigsaw in Chinese. As of its name, Its leaves is small with jigsaw edge. Apart from the unique almond fragrance and nutty notes, it is also apparent in its honey and floral notes. As it is having relatively higher roasting level, you can also find a light hint of toasty and milky notes in it. It is relatively stronger in taste with buttery and rich mouthfeel.

Night Blooming Jasmine Aroma “Ye Lai Xiang”

Aroma Type: Night Blooming Jasmine Aroma / Ye Lai Xiang (夜來香)

Tasting Notes: layered and mixed floral and honey notes, ascending and lingering sweetness

Ye Lai Xiang is one of the ten most famous aroma of Dan Cong Tea, originated from Shi Tou Jiao Village of Wudong mountain, Chao Zhou. It may be a lesser-known dancong aroma, as its production quantity is relatively less than other the renowned dancong aroma like Ya Shi Xiang and Mi Lan Xiang, but it is definitely one of the most aromatic dancong tea worth trying.

The name “Ye Lai Xiang” means “Night Blooming Jasmine Aroma” in Chinese. The name is based on a legend that the tea farmers make this tea at night, a high aroma is created during the tea-making process, the air is full of fragrance like flowers blooming at night. When brewing the tea, a mixed floral notes can be found, which is similar to the fragrances of flower like Night Blooming jasmine, Magnolia and Lilac. The floral notes is very natural, you can also find the hint of honey with lingering aftertaste.

Old Immortal Man – Lao Xian Weng

Aroma Type: Old Immortal Man/ Lao Xian Weng (老仙翁)

Tasting Notes: mixed floral, orange blossom, fruity and honey notes, 

The name of this tea “Lao Xian Weng” means “Old Immortal Man” in Chinese. Its mother tree is very old with over 400 years old, originated in Li Zi Ping Village from Wu Dong Mountain in Chao Zhou, China. Traditionally, Lao Xian Weng means the legendary Daoist “Xian” immortals, usually refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortals. As the tea tree is very old, and having unique appearance just like an old man with immortal soul, people named this tea varietal as “Lao Xian Weng” (Old Immortal Man).

Lao Xian Weng is now one of the ten most famous and classic aroma of Dan Cong Tea. When brewing this tea, it comes with a natural orange blossom fragrance and elegant aroma with various floral notes and the layered mouthfeel from the old bush. It is very lingering in its taste which can be re-steeped for more than 10 times.

Magnolia Aroma – Yu Lan Xiang

Aroma Type: Magnolia Aroma/ Yu Lan Xiang(玉蘭香)

Tasting Notes: floral, magnolia, orchid, honey, lingering sweetness

Yu Lan Xiang(玉蘭香), literally means Magnolia Flower Aroma. It is one of the precious type of floral and honey fragrance of Phoenix Dan Cong Tea. It is characterized as a light fragrance/ light roasted type of dancong, with distinct aroma of white magnolia flower, orchid and honey notes, The fragrance is long lasting, possessing a mountain charm, primarily refer to the taste of its inner quality. The fresh tea leaves of Yu Lan Xiang is in yellow-green colour, so the  local farmer also called it as “Jin Yu Lan”, translated as golden Magnolia.

Osmanthus Aroma – Gui Hua Xiang

Aroma Type: Osmanthus Aroma/ Gui Hua Xiang(桂花香)

Tasting Notes: layered floral, osmanthus honey and milky notes, high and lingering in sweetness

Gui Hua Xiang(桂花香), literally means Osmanthus Aroma. It is named after its naturally inherent fragrance of osmanthus flower. It is not a scent tea made with osmanthus flowers, it is named because of association with the elegant floral notes similar to osmanthus fragrance. Apart from its impressive osmanthus notes, it also combines elegant notes of honey sweetness with a light hint of milky notes.

Pomelo Flower Aroma – You Hua Xiang

Aroma Type: Pomelo Flower Aroma/ You Hua Xiang(柚花香)

Tasting Notes: soft and light-roasted mouthfeel, floral and fruity notes with pomelo flower and citrus fragrance.

You Hua Xiang, literally means Pomelo Flower Aroma. It is named after its naturally inherent fragrance of pomelo flower. Pomelo flower is the flower of the citrus plant similar to citrus or orange flower. The tea is not a flower tea or scented tea, yet it surpassed flower tea in its aromatic quality. The essence of Pomelo fragrance lies in its “pomelo” flavor, it has an unique floral notes similar to the pomelo flower. It is a very pleasing light-roasted oolong with natural floral notes and soft mouth-feel.

Jasmine Aroma “Mo Li Xiang”

Aroma Type: Jasmine Aroma/ You Hua Xiang(茉莉香)

Tasting Notes: apparent jasmine fragrance, well balance with various floral and fruity notes

Mo Li Xiang means Jasmine Aroma, one of the floral and honey aroma type of Dancong. True to its name, when brewed, it has apparent and delicate jasmine floral fragrance.  Different from jasmine-scented tea, this Jasmine aroma dancong is not scented with any Jasmine, this variety naturally possesses its own jasmine-like aroma. It is a rare variety with limited production, making it extremely scarce to be found in the market. Apart from the apparent jasmine fragrance, it is also mixed with other floral and fruity notes with honey-like aftertaste.

Ao Fu Hou

Aroma Type: Ao Fu Hou (凹富后)

Tasting Notes: strong aroma with mixed floral and fruity notes. Impressive and lingering sweetness with the hint of sugarcane

Ao Fu Hou is a niche and exquisite types of dancong aroma. Ao Fu Hou is a representative of the high aroma type of dancong tea. It is considered as “The king of aroma” and the “essence of aroma”. “Ao Fu Hou” , also called “Ta Ku Hou”, is a Chao Zhou dialect, which means “behind a dip in mountains”. The story about its name is because the mother tree of this “Ao Fu Hou” is growing in a big hole/dip behind a big stone. This mother tree is about 350 years old now. The production quantity of Ao Fu Hou is not that high when comparing with other Dan Cong varietal, so it is relatively high in its market price.

The tea is notably sweet, with complex floral and fruity notes, similar to the notes of orange blossom. Its lingering sweetness is natural and elegant, which will not be too overwhelming. 

Big Dark Leaf/ Da Wu Ye

Aroma Type: Big Dark Leaf/ Da Wu Ye (大烏葉)

Tasting Notes: strong aroma with refreshing and crisp mouthfeel, layered floral and honey notes, sustained sweetness

“Da Wu Ye” means big dark leaf in Chinese. Just like its name, Its fresh leaves is big and fat, and the colour is in dark green. It is one of the most common and classic Dan Cong in Chao Zhou. Da Wu Ye is strong in aroma when comparing with other Dan Cong. It is well balanced in its orchid and honey note, and it is usually being considered as having similar aroma of You Hua Xiang (Pomelo Flower Aroma). As Da Wu Ye are larger in its size, making it relatively easier to harvest and process. Da Wu Ye is moderate in price with high yield, so it is usually considered as the daily drink and value to money options for the locals in Chao Zhou.