Once picked from oolong trees, the leaves are sorted, withered in sunlight or a warm room for several hours with occasional gentle rolling. This begins the process of forming the flavors and aromas of perhaps our sweetest tasting oolong. A Dan Cong cultivar, this tea is grown in the famous Phoenix Mountains of Guangdong Province. Prized in China for the complexity of its flavors, Magnolia Blossom is unadulterated, its name reflects an aroma it naturally produces.
Lot Notes. Lot is handmade, grown in the Wu Dong Mountain area. We have procured teas from the tea maker for years and his annual offerings are first grade. Magnolia Blossom (Yu Lan Xiang) offers a balanced, naturally sweet and flavorful cup. It is an excellent version of this class of Oolongs. Lot is LZ-1. Harvest date is 2025.
Tea Facts. This lot was grown at an elevation of approximately 1200 meters in the Phoenix Mountains, Fenghuang area. Once harvested, the leaves are sorted, then withered with gentle hand rolling for 6-8 hours initiating enzymatic reactions creating its aromas and flavors and its distinctive, red-green leaf. In the final firing, the leaves are wood charcoal fired in wicker baskets to create a fruity and roasted aroma. Grown on a small, terraced tea farm, marked by mineral-rich red soils fed by subterranean springs.
Tasting Notes. This style of Dan Cong Oolong is naturally sweet. Highly aromatic, we find flavors of roasted almond, honeysuckle and stone fruit. Cup taste is nuanced with a long and pleasant aftertaste.
Brewing suggestions. Use 3-4 grams of leaves for 8-12 ounces of water. Boiling water is best, briefly rinse the leaves and pour off to "awaken" the leaf. Try a two-minute steep time and see if you enjoy the taste. We recommend to not leave the leaf in water as the tea will over-steep. It also preserves the flavors in the leaves for additional steeps. First steep is known for aroma, 2nd & 3rd steeps bring out additional tastes. Multiple steeps, 4-7 times, are there to enjoy.
SKU: O-PBO-10-5
Oolong Tea
Add 30 seconds for each successive steep — flavors evolve.
Oolong leaves are large. Once plucked, they are either rolled and lightly oxidized (Tieguanyin style) or are long and crafted to a reddish-brown color (Dan Cong style).
Tieguanyin is shades of green, almost blue. Its infusion opens to an aroma of lilies of the valley with a mouthfeel of gentle vegetal notes as it develops into a buttery, floral finish. Dan Cong is aromas of brown sugar and candied fruit. The mouthfeel is strong and full-bodied with a sweet, refreshing finish. In steeping, first rinse the leaves briefly to awaken them. This steep can be enjoyed for aroma. The second steep releases precious flavors. Multiple steeps are the norm for oolongs as they are complex and layered.