Jade Leaf Monarch

Tea: Jade Leaf Monarch (Baiyewang – 白叶王)
Type: Charcoal Roasted Dancong Oolong
Harvest: Spring 2022
Roast Dates: 1st Roast June 2022, Second Roast July 2022, 3rd Roast August 2022
Region: Phoenix Village, Guangdong, China
Producer: Ms. Chen
Tasting Notes: Orchid, Orange Peel, Petrichor, Stewed Berries, Clove

The Jade Leaf Monarch, or Baiye Wang, is actually a fairly common varietal of Dancong Oolong grown in the Phoenix Mountain Range. This easy to grow cultivar produces astonishingly fragrant teas and is a favorite of many producers. Why then is the name unfamiliar? Many producers will simply sell this tea under the moniker of a more famous Dancong Oolong varietal: Milanxiang, or the Honey Orchid Fragrance.

The Jade Leaf Monarch has the same saccharine and complex spiced fruit fragrances common to good Honey Orchid Fragrance. While many Milanxiangs have very high notes of flowers and fruit, the Jade Leaf Monarch stays grounded in a way that hints at its rich minerality. The Fragrance of the dry leaves, while having sweet notes of floral fruit, also touches edges with the rich earthen notes one would get from a rock-grown Yancha.

This tea brews up relatively lightly with the roast still sitting heavily on the leaves. With time, the roast will sink deeper into the leaves, but at the moments, a good rinse does a lot to wake up the leaves. The mouthfeel is very pleasant, and the tea itself is humble in its fragrances, textures, and energy. This is a tea that might get overlooked in a fast-paced session, but is at home in a state of quiet contemplation. The sweetness of this tea is one of stewed berries and wassail like spices.