Style: Dan Cong Oolong
Origin: Phoenix Mountains, Guangdong Province, China
Description: There are a group of Oolongs, Dan Cong Oolongs specifically, which are named for their unique and specific aromas. The aroma of each tea is a defining characteristic of the tea tree where it is harvested from. There are over 100 different varieties of Dan Cong Oolongs grown exclusively on Phoenix Mountain.
For all varieties of tea, soil is a key element in the taste and aroma. Each tree and the resulting Dan Cong tea that comes from its leaves are named for its unique "fragrance." (Honey, Magnolia, Orchid and so on).
The story behind the name "Duck Shit"...
The native soil in this particular region has a yellowish-brown look to it and it is this very soil that allows the old tea trees to thrive and produce these incredibly aromatic teas. So, in an attempt to safe-guard the beauty of their tea trees, and prevent cuttings from being stolen, the tea farmers told outsiders that the colour and uniqueness of the soil in their village, Ping Keng Tou, was due to copious amounts of duck shit and began to call the their Dan Cong "Duck Shit Aroma". This funny story reveals why the tea has such an unpleasant name, and such an incredible taste!
Only 29 kilograms of tea in total was produced this year, by a single family operation! We feel lucky to be able to offer a portion to our tea community.
Tasting Notes: The brewed tea is highly aromatic with floral, honey, roasted pinenuts, lychee and longan fruit notes. The mouthfeel is delicate and soothing with a taste that perfectly balances sweetness and succulent astringent notes.
Brewing Instructions: 7g of tea leaves per cup (250ml of water). 90ºC. Steep for 30 seconds. Re-steep multiple times. This tea can take 10+ re-steeps!
Option: Briefly rinse the leaves with 90ºC water and pour off to "awaken" the leaves. Re-infuse the leaves as per typical steeping instructions.
The mountains of Fujian province in China are the origin of the exquisite Oolong tea. Known as wulong or black dragon tea, it is distinguished by its long and twisted, almost serpentine rolled leaves. Oolong is the most complex and intricate tea to produce and it is believed to promote good digestion and longevity. Due to its popularity, Oolong is no longer exclusively manufactured in China or Taiwan - India also produces a wide range of Oolong teas from their terroirs, resulting in a variety of flavour within the processing tradition.
One of the most internationally recognized Oolongs manufactured in China is named Ti Kwan Yin, for Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Legend has it that emperor Kangxi prayed to Kwan Yin for her to help restore his health. The goddess answered his prayers and later appeared before him in a dream, where she brought him to a mountainous area and showed him the tea slopes and the poor living conditions of the farmers there. She asked that the emperor help the farmers gain prosperity by officially establishing the region as a tea-growing one. Thus, emperor Kangxi declared the tea from these slopes to be famed, and the area’s tea industry, along with Ti Kwan Yin’s flavour, blossomed.
Pu-erh is a fermented tea produced in Yunnan Province. It is the only tea that uses microbial fermentation to process and oxidize the leaves. If done in the traditional manner, the tea is pressed into brick forms after the first stage of fermentation, where it would continue to ferment and deepen with flavour as it aged. These bricks are sometimes stored within the rinds of fruits to ferment, like mandarin oranges or lemons, to take on some of the flavour and sweetness of the fruit.
For many years these tea bricks were used as currency, and it is still common for people to invest in the tea today. Pu-erh exist in two forms – ‘Raw’ Pu-erh, which comes in brick or cake form, and ‘Cooked’ Pu-erh, which is processed as loose leaf. This age-old fermented tea has great health benefits and is highly valued in parts of Asia, and its unique flavour is starting to gain more traction outside China.
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