Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Dan Cong is the champagne of oolong tea: ripe with intense fruit and sweetness. The first time people taste this tea they are astonished by the arresting honey and floral notes – all completely natural. The tender leaves are thoroughly fermented and baked to produce a rich liquor bursting with peach, lychee, honey and orchid flavours. Grown on a plantation on the lower slopes of Wu Dong Mountain, Chao Zhou, this high-grade Chinese tea can be enjoyed through multiple infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I so adore this Mi Lan Dan Cong Oolong from Canton Tea Co.! It has a delightful honeyed flavor with notes of flower and lychee fruit.
The description above suggests notes of peach and yes, I definitely do taste peach but I also find myself tasting plum-y notes too. Like hints of sweet and sour from a ripe plum. I taste distinct floral notes – orchid! – and I love the way the orchid melds with the fruit notes and the sweet, honey taste.
The flavors all come together so smoothly – seamlessly. It’s sweet with the contrasting sour notes. It’s nicely round with very little astringency and no bitterness. Just very, very beautiful to sip.
Later infusions offered even smoother flavors – the sharpness of the Lychee notes have softened somewhat now and melded with the other fruit flavors, creating a sort of unique fruit taste that’s a little Lychee, a little peach and a little plum. I’m picking up on fewer sour notes now, just a hint here and there.
But the cup is still delightfully sweet and honey-esque.
I’d recommend this tea to any tea lover looking for an exceptional tea experience! This tea delivers!
2014 Zhi Lan Xiang Dan Cong Oolong Tea from Grand Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Grand Tea
Tea Description:
Zhi Lan Xiang Dan Cong Limited Stock Dan Cong is family of stripe-style oolong teas from Guangdong Province. Dancong teas are noted for their ability to naturally imitate the flavors and fragrances of various flowers and fruits, such as orange blossom, orchid, grapefruit, almond, ginger flower, etc. This particular Zhi Lan Xiang Dan Cong oolong has a lovely aroma and a sweetness reminds of honey.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s Oolong time! Oh, happy day, today I’m drinking this delightful Zhi Lan Xiang Dan Cong Oolong Tea from Grand Tea that was harvested in 2014. It’s fresh and it is really good.
Really good!
It’s sweet! And just as the description above suggests, it is very reminiscent of a honey-like sweetness. I taste notes of fruit – a slightly under-ripe plum that’s both sweet and just a little sour. There’s a hint of grapefruit, I taste that tangy note from grapefruit as well as just a hint of the bitterness that I’d taste from the citrus fruit. I am also noticing a woodsy tone that continues to develop as I sip this first cup (infusions 1 and 2 following a 15 second rinse.)
The second cup (infusions 3 and 4) offered stronger fruit notes – I can really taste the grapefruit note this time! It’s a bright note, complex with notes that are tart and sweet. I find that the aforementioned plum note is maybe less prominent, allowing for the notes of the grapefruit to shine through. Lots of sweet honey taste and I taste less of the woodsy tone that I noticed with the last cup. This cup is all about sweet honey and fruit!
Later infusions produced a more unified taste. The honey notes became smoother and softer, while the tangy notes of fruit became more subdued, allowing for the sweetness of the fruit and some notes of flower to emerge.
I really enjoyed this tea. Yes, this Dan Cong Oolong would be welcome in my teacup anytime!
Magnolia Blossom Oolong Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This Guangdong specialty is a lovely oolong tea, scented with magnolia flowers. Alternately known as Orchid Oolong or in Chinese Yu Lan, this selection is a must try for those who appreciate a fine scented tea. The flavor nuances are unique, but hints of jasmine lend a recognizable character.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a magnolia scented Oolong tea, so I was happy to find this Magnolia Blossom Oolong Tea from Upton Tea Imports in my tea stash! And it’s a really good magnolia Oolong with it’s delicately soft, sweet floral notes and hints of a fruit-like quality in the background. It’s delightfully complex.
My first cup (the first and second infusions combined following a 15 second “awakening” of the leaves) of this tea was very flavorful … much more flavorful than a typical “first cup” of Oolong tea, which generally are very subtle. There is a lot of flavor in this cup. The first thing I notice is the sweetness, it’s like nectar. As the sip progresses, the floral notes develop. In the background, I notice distant notes of fruit: something between a sweet apple and melon.
The second cup (infusions 3 & 4) is where I start to notice a creamy character come through. It’s soft and buttery and almost decadent. It has a very luxurious taste and texture. The floral notes are still present. The floral tones are a slightly sharper now. It’s not so much a nectar-y sweetness now as it is a floral and buttery/creamy sweetness. I still taste the notes of apple and melon in the distance, but another fruit note also seems to be emerging – grapefruit? Not the tartness of the citrus, but the sweeter grapefruit notes is what I’m tasting here.
The third cup (infusions 5 & 6) maintains its floral qualities. The citrus notes are more pronounced now. This note is most noticeable toward the finish. I notice a slight astringency now, this cup is not quite as soft and creamy as the first two cups were, but it is still very flavorful and wonderful to enjoy!
Overall, a very enjoyable magnolia Oolong, and a truly lovely way to spend an afternoon. It evokes thoughts of an early, warm summer afternoon which is kind of nice since it’s been so cold! Yes, I do love the cooler weather, but, it’s also nice to have memories of the warmth. Actually, I think I prefer the memories in a teacup of the warm days of summer versus the actual summer day!