Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Tea Description:
Dan Cong Oolong is, perhaps, our best tea. It is handcrafted from the leaves of the famous Dan Cong tea bushes of Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong, China, and then well oxidized and roasted for a remarkably rich, nuanced aroma and flavor. Its dark, wiry leaves are highly aromatic. Open a package and you’ll immediately smell apricots, peaches and bittersweet cocoa powder. The clear, pale-golden brew has lively aromas of apricots, nectarine, firewood, dark chocolate, and toasted walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts. Its flavor is fantastically sweet and complex, with notes of fruit, honey, natural osmanthus flowers, wood and minerals. The aftertaste is phenomenally full, and it changes with each re-infusion of Dan Cong Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My favorite Oolong tea is Ali Shan, but, I think that this one may narrow in to be a close second. The flavor is outstanding!
The leaves have been deeply oxidized as evidenced by their dark color. The dry leaf is wiry and long, and possesses an aroma with deep fruit, flower and earthy notes.
The flavor is intense. I have spoken with a few people on-line who have mentioned that they do not like Oolong because the flavor is so light, to these people, I say, try Dan Cong! This is not a delicate brew; it is so flavorful and complex.
The first thing I notice is a piquant fruit note that tastes of apricots and peaches. I taste the osmanthus flower, and its natural peach-like tones further accentuate the fruit tones of the tea. There is a lovely sweetness to this that reminds me of wildflower honey.
I can also taste the firewood as mentioned in the description with hints of smokiness, and a distinct sharpness that arrives mid-sip that evoked thoughts of firewood before I even having read the description.
I don’t know that I taste the individual nutty flavors that are mentioned in the description, but there is a nuttiness to the flavor profile. Toasty and delicious! I also taste hints of cocoa within the brew, but, not a strong sense of dark chocolate. More like a hint of cocoa intermingling with the toasted nut flavor.
One seriously fabulous Oolong. I highly recommend this to any tea drinker.
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