Phoenix Single Grove Honey Fragrance Spring 2014

A rare and unique southern China oolong made with leaves harvested from the ancient arbor type Camellia sinensis, renowned for its distinct honey notes on a woody base. There are 13 famous varietals, each with a distinct fragrance, and for trees that are large and old enough, each batch is harvested out of a ‘single grove’ to have the most distinctiveness. The leaves are thin and oblong, like the beak of a phoenix that was its namesake. The leaves are made in the traditional way: hand harvested, hand oxidized by a laborious ad long process, and roasted over charcoal heat. The borders must be deep red and the centers of the leaves remain green- for the Honey Fragrance version, whereas a darker roast is preferred for the other varieties. The Honey Fragrance varietal is the most successfully propagated varietal, as these trees are hard to raise and require only high mountain and intense fog conditions. As our planetary climates change, many ancient trees have died, leaving fewer and fewer varietals.