Guang Dong Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea

I did not know what to expect with this one. The dry leaf looks more like black tea than oolong. The dry scent is kind of grape/malt/cocoa with very mild roasted hints. When I put the leaf in my freshly washed and still wet press, the aroma became like the leaves of a tomato plant. Brewed up the golden liquor scent was mildly roasted tomato leaves.

I was apparently not awake enough to leaf this properly so I added a bit of sweetener to compensate. The front of the sip reminds me of the Formosa oolong I had a couple days ago. The late sip and aftertaste are tiguanyin. While floral it is not overly so. It is fruity and sweet (not just from my additive). This is much more subdued than I expected. By the look of the leaf I thought it would be very strong. I am going to add more leaf now that I am awake and see what happens.

In raw form this tea is dark brown, thin, very long and has a leather, dried fruit scent. Sweet but with dark under tones. I can see quite a few leaf stems.

Once steeped the tea soup is light brown in colour and has a sweet but dark, fruity, wooden aroma.

Flavour is similar to it’s scent. Fruity highs of currant and thick, strong lows of wood and leather. So far it’s very smooth and honeyed.

The second steep is musky but still very wooden and sweet. Thicker this time and more robust but not enough to be bitter.

Third steep is still sweet and wooden and stronger in flavour than I expected. Also still curranty and smooth.

Overall it’s a nice, wooden and sweet Oolong with dark fruit tones. I usually prefer greener Oolongs personally but my husband really enjoyed this. It wouldn’t be something I would stock again for myself but may get the odd sample for my husband. :)

It’s strange – the first time I tasted this I got notes of peach and grape. This time? It’s very seaweedish. Strong, and roasty. Also, a little bitter. The directions said to steep it at boiling but I’ll re-steep it at a lower temperature and see if that helps.

The steeped leaves smell grap-y though. I’ll have to re-steep it, but for now I don’t think this is one I need to restock. I’ll wait until I get a better understanding/appreciation of oolongs first!

Sipdown (98)

ETA: The resteep is nice and roasty and now I’m getting a little bit of grape as well. This is much nicer! I still don’t think this is my favourite of the teaviver oolongs though.

Wow, this is a dark-leaved oolong. I literally went “Ooh” when I opened the packet. The leaves are long and almost black. They’re flat, and smell very sweet. I haven’t had an oolong in a good while, so that distinct and familiar scent is very welcome.

I went with the pack’s instructions, using boiling water and a short time in the water. As it steeped, the scent became stronger and more pungent. I’m reminded of fruit, but at the same time, the forest. Something makes me think of honey and of trees. It’s hard to describe, and intriguing. It brews up to a light shade of brown.

When I taste it, something instantly reminds me of tree bark, sap, and grapefruit. It’s toasty, smooth, and calming… Yet strangely, I feel like I’m tasting… hops? It reminds me of a mild IPA! Is that weird? To think of beer when I’m tasting tea? Anyway, I’m really liking this. I think I’m going to put the rest of my sample on and spend my evening enjoying this unique oolong.

This is one of the new teas I got samples of from Angel at Teavivre, but it appears I have had a previous harvest of this tea. It seems like I really want to like this one, but I have immense trouble getting the right amount of leaf and water right.

Right off the bat I got a stronger brew than my first time, but it was a bit mineraly and a little astringent. I’m not getting sweet potato at all. I wish I was, though. I wish I was getting caramel and honey with sweet potato…but I’m not.

I just don’t know what to make of this tea. The leaves are long and spindly, and with more leaf and longer steep time, I am getting a darker and more bodied brew, but I did need to add sugar as it was a bit bitter.

I feel like if I get the balance right, it can be a great tea, but finding that balance has been tricky, so far.

I thank Angel for providing this sample for me to try again. Sometimes harvests can very, but this tea still seems finicky to me.

Angel of Teavivre sent me samples of this in a recent order. I’m very grateful for the samples Teavivre is willing to send out, & for their wonderful & delicious high quality teas!

I usually choose short gongfu steepings for Dan Congs, but today I went with a regular cup, making 3 steepings: 1 min, 2min, & 5min. Steeped this way, I’m getting an interesting mix of grapes & incense. Later comes a juicy & tangy grapefruit, & the flavors & aroma linger long after the sip is gone, rising into the soft palate & sinuses to create what I call an ‘after aroma’. As always, Angel’s samples are generous, so I’ll be able to try this more than one way. Admittedly, I prefer teas such as this one steeped in the yixing, but I’ll save that for another day.

This is a sample I bought in my last Teavivre order. Or one of the free, I actually don’t remember which. Either way, it’s new!

Dry, this leaf has a powerful smell. The more I inhale it the stronger it gets, but I am having trouble naming the aroma. Something reminds me of fresh herbs, like my basil with some honeyed cocoa as well. There is a note of something sharp like lemon zest as well. It is interesting and appealing, though more complex than many others I’ve been drinking lately.

I used the full 7 g packet in my 14 oz mug with 90 degree-ish water (from the tap at work), though it was way more leaf than I usually use so I only allowed it to infuse about two minutes. The steeped aroma yielded more honey and cocoa than the sharp herb and citrus smells from before.

The liquor came out a warm yellow, and provides a much lighter taste than expected. It is still very present and enjoyable, just not as bold as anticipated. I get some honeyed sweetness, and a bit of a tingle on the tongue that reminds me of those initial herb and lemon aromas. It is nice and dark and really quite appetizing. I think the second steep on this one with more time will really be impressive. This is a good balance of leaf/temp/time/water, I’m glad I might I made the right call for my tastes.

I don’t get any green or grassy flavours from this (that’s important for me). The cocoa has largely subsided as well and as I get deeper in the cup/it cools I find the citrus sense is really developing. It is pretty interesting but I don’t think I will stock it regularly since I already have a couple roasted oolongs I enjoy. This is a really nice one though, maybe I will alternate between this and the big red robe?

Edit to add: After reading the other tasting notes I could see grape/currant/grapefruit in lieur of what I was picking up on as citrus-y. Someone else also mentioned IPA and I totally see that. Now that this cup is almost gone, I am really digging this one. Might be a contender for a future order, I’ll have to see what the beau thinks of it. It’s also a great deal at $12.90/100 grams. Okay, I’m putting it on the shopping list, even though I won’t be ordering from Teavivre for a few months.

Dan cong oolong. Yum. I’ve missed tea. I admit I’ve been distracted by a shiny new hobby. I was gifted with water kefir grains so I’ve been making refreshing probiotic sodas instead of tea. Latest batch is a ginger wineberry concoction. From foraged wineberries! But tea! You have been missed.

This particular tea is a fine specimen of a Dan Cong. There’s definitely some citrus rind and honey. And quince. Theres the typical roasted autumnal flavor of a darker oolong. Pleasingly astringent. Tasty and warming on an oddly chilly summer day.

This sample was generously provided to me by Angel from Teavivre. Thank you so much!

I love dan congs, but I don’t love how every single one has had different steeping parameters. It’s so strange because theoretically these are all leaves from the same tree, you know?

Anyway, the recommendation for this one was boiling water, and I’ll try that next time, but it just seemed like that would be too tough on these leaves so I went with thePuritea’s recommended parameters, which are below.

Dry leaf was long and spindly, and had that trademark seaweed/salt air scent that I love. Reminds me of Tybee Island – which was where I grew up. My childhood summers were pretty much spent sunburned and water logged, and I loved every second of it. I don’t really miss the community down there, but oh, I miss the ocean. It’s been hard being landlocked these past few years and I hope to eventually have a coastline near me soon!

The main reason I’m going to try the recommended parameters is that the cooler water yielded a surprisingly thin steeping. Not as nectary, or as peachy as my other dan cong experiences. I didn’t get much of the lingering fruity aftertaste, either. It wasn’t overly bitter or astringent, it just…wasn’t what I’ve gotten used to a dan cong being. So I’m going to hold off on rating for now until I try it with boiling water.

But even while it wasn’t in top form, it was still fabulously relaxing and nostalgic…and I bet once I actually follow directions it will be perfect!

1 1/2 tsp for 8 oz

Beautiful aroma, gorgeous light gold liquor. Medium oxidized and not roasty. It has a lovely, fruity flavor.

Only downside was quite a bit of astringency in the finish. I’m going to try a lower temp next time to see if that goes away. Also, there was quite a bit of dust/fannings in one of my sample packets. It must have been the bottom of the bag. I will infuse just the larger leaves next time.

This is a type of oolong right up my alley! Not too green, not charcoally. Perfect when I want something a bit lighter than a black.