"Zhi Lan Xiang" Dan Cong Oolong Tea * Spring 2018

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Oolong Tea Leaves
Flavors
Almond, Apple, Apricot, Butterscotch, Cherry, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cream, Custard, Fruity, Grass, Honey, Lychee, Mineral, Orange Blossom, Orange Zest, Orchid, Peach, Pear, Plum, Spinach, Sugarcane, Tangerine, Vanilla, Violet, Wood
Sold in
Bulk, Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by eastkyteaguy
Average preparation
6 g 4 oz / 118 ml

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1 Tasting Note View all

  • “Okay, here is yet another review of a spring 2018 Dancong oolong. This one comes from just a little further back in my review notebook for 2020 and early 2021. Yunnan Sourcing’s Zhi Lan Xiang is...” Read full tasting note
    91

From Yunnan Sourcing

芝兰香 literally means “Zhi Lan Orchid Aroma”. Zhi Lan orchids are thick and sweet with an especially pungent aroma. Our Zhi Lan Xiang Dan Cong was grown in Feng Xi Mao Er Village in the Wu Dong mountains (Guangdong).

The aroma when brewed at first reminds us of cured cannabis flowers and orchids. The taste is thick and pungent, with sweetness and little or no astringency. The tea has body and seems to expand in the mouth. The after-taste is noticeable and long with a soothing lubricating effect on the mouth and throat.

Roast level: Light to Medium

Harvest time: Late April – Early May 2018

Area: Feng Xi Mao Er Village in Wu Dong Shan (Guangdong)

About Yunnan Sourcing View company

Company description not available.

1 Tasting Note

91
1048 tasting notes

Okay, here is yet another review of a spring 2018 Dancong oolong. This one comes from just a little further back in my review notebook for 2020 and early 2021. Yunnan Sourcing’s Zhi Lan Xiang is another of their Dancong offerings that I tend to greatly enjoy from year to year, and well, there weren’t any surprises for me with this tea. It struck me as being yet another more or less excellent offering of this type.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a 10 second rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 203 F water for 6 seconds. This infusion was followed by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of orchid, cherry, pomegranate, cream, custard, and vanilla. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of wood, grass, sugarcane, and plum. The first infusion added aromas of coriander, violet, and orange blossom. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented pleasant notes of orchid, orange blossom, wood, cherry, grass, cream, sugarcane, lychee, and honey that were balanced by hints of plum, pomegranate, sour apricot, and vanilla. The majority of the subsequent infusions altered the tea’s bouquet with the addition of baked bread, honey, apple, pear, peach, lychee, roasted almond, tangerine, and subtle spinach aromas. Stronger and more immediately detectable notes of plum and vanilla came out in the mouth alongside notes of minerals, spinach, pear, apple, violet, roasted almond, orange zest, baked bread, and tangerine. I also noted hints of custard, butterscotch, coriander, banana, cinnamon, and peach. As the tea faded, the liquor emphasized notes of minerals, orchid, grass, tangerine, wood, sugarcane, apple, cherry, violet, pear, and roasted almond that were chased by a swell of subtler, more delicate spinach, orange zest, orange blossom, honey, lychee, plum, sour apricot, and butterscotch flavors.

As mentioned earlier, this was another winner among the spring 2018 Dancong oolongs released by Yunnan Sourcing. Again, this is one of their teas that I tend to look forward to each year. This was basically a superb Dancong oolong. Teas like this continue to make me wish that there were more Zhi Lan Xiang Dancong oolongs available in the West. They’re hard to find compared to the ubiquitous Mi Lan Xiang, but in my opinion, they can be just as rewarding, sometimes much more so.

Flavors: Almond, Apple, Apricot, Butterscotch, Cherry, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cream, Custard, Fruity, Grass, Honey, Lychee, Mineral, Orange Blossom, Orange Zest, Orchid, Peach, Pear, Plum, Spinach, Sugarcane, Tangerine, Vanilla, Violet, Wood

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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