Cinnamon Sky 2022 Spring Rougui Dancong Oolong

Gongfu!

Had a bit of a “two in one” with the session as I used it to break in some new BLT teaware and it was my first time tasting this tea. Firstly, I am OBSESSED with this charmingly weird Chinese mythology inspired teacup. It perfectly fits in with my slowly growing assortment of strange tea accessories.

Secondly, this oolong was so toasty and delicious. When it comes to the “Dancong vs Yancha” conversation I tend to be firmly in the yancha camp, but this felt very much like the best of both worlds. Not quite as heavily roasted and mineral as your conventional Rougui but also not lacking those notes either. Cinnamon (duh), ginseng, tree bark, mace, and a hint of floral all complimented the more delicate notes of wet rocks and cocoa butter.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkwVOxDumiG/

(Peep the cup in the second pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvyY4Ys4rmw

An interesting Dancong! I got this tea from my recent BLT order, and it is quite different from the other dancongs from the Bitterleaf catalogue. Nice dry leaf with a decent wet leaf aroma, paired with a decent liquor, this tea has a juicy yet astringent texture that permeates the mouth. It also provides a lot in terms of character with a wave of “freshness” in a sense going through the palate. Decent finish with a slightly above average aftertaste. The flavour is decent but can tend to be overly bitter when not careful, more so than other dancongs. However, the bitterness pays off with a beautiful permeating salinity in the tongue. Average buzzy cha-qi with a slightly better than average steep longevity makes this tea a 75ish for me.