Fenghuang Shan (aka Phoenix Mountain) in Guangdong province is home to the oldest oolong tea bushes and processing methods. One of its many mounts, Wudong, is the mecca of Fenghuang Dancong — Phoenix (tea) processed from the leaves of a single bush.
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Old Bush Zhilan, bouquet dancong
Cool Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, Tea$ 42.30鳳凰烏崠、丹湖老欉芝蘭香
From the same small farm that produces our beloved Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, old Master Lin tends three venerable bushes that his father planted in his youth, now about 80 years old, crafting from them a seductively fragrant Zhilan Xiang. As a dancong bush gains age in its natural environment, the tea from its leaves has the potential for greater complexity taste and aroma. This is a distinctive trait of this oldest form of oolong. That is one reason harvests from older bushes are keenly sought after by connoisseurs. For a bouquet dancong, however, achieving perfection depends not only on the terroir and the mastery of processing but also on the precise weather and leaf condition at harvest. Unlike classic dancong, where there are a few more steps in which the tea master has some room to compensate for less-than-ideal circumstances, the fewer steps and shorter time in bouquet-style processing has less margin for error note. That means some years are distinctively better than others. That is why for a harvest as nearly perfect as this one, it is a blessing.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Fengxi Old Ginger, classic Fenghuang dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 30.80鳳西 老欉薑母香
Tea Hong's Fengxi Old Ginger offers a floral, fruity profile with a ginger tone, and even a tiny hint of that spicy bite. Its elegant bouquet is luxuriously rich and complex, yet intricate and delicate. This distinctive olfactory presence and its intriguing gingery zest make the tea a unique choice in the classic style Phoenix oolong line up. Jiangmu Xiang, as the tea is called in the romanisation of the original name, has a slightly different origin too: about 10min on the motorbike to the east of Wudong — the Mecca of Fenghuang dancong — in the area of Fengxi, where the original 200+year-old tree has been propagated to the hundreds of production ones. Newer ones are now found elsewhere but we stay with the older clones which yields can give deeper and fuller characteristics of the tea. Like all our classic style Phoenixes, the tea has been rested a few months after harvest before the finishing rebake, and then matured amply before release, as in the proper old tradition.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Phoenix Petioles 1988, matured leaf stalk oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 20.10私藏 陳年鳳凰莖茶
Phoenix tea farmers’ tea
In Phoenix, before a tea goes through the last round of baking to be ready for consumption, it is sorted manually to get rid of the leaf stalks (i.e. petioles), broken leaves, and other leaves that are not as nicely rolled or processed as the others (aka Yu Ye). The producer retains such “refuse”, rebakes it and keep it for personal use or give it out to their neighbours and relatives. They call it cha tou or thê-tao in the local language, as in “Tea Head”*. Provided the right quality, the taste of thê-tao, despite their irregularity in appearance, is actually sweeter and softer than the leaf tea from the same plant and a lot more flexible and tolerant with brewing mistakes. Presenting Tea Hong’s Phoenix Petioles 1988, a thê-tao collected between 1985 to 1988 by our top Phoenix producer. Because of the decades long maturity given onto the tea, it exhibits a post-fermentation characteristics somewhat alike those of finer shu cha Pu’ers — earthy, woodsy, herbal and pacifyingly herbal sweet, combined with an underlying and unmistakable matured Phoenix undertone. A unique taste experience unlike anything else.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Honey Orchid XO 1992, matured Phoenix Dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 27.80特醇鳳凰單樅 陳年蜜蘭香
A local tea master's special reserve
In the Phoenix Mountain area, where some superrich and those in powerful positions would send their chauffeurs to collect teas from certain tea farms at hundreds of thousands per kilo even when the tea is barely baked after processing, there are certain farmers whose own personal tea is never this “fresh”. They actually store their tea in tight tins for many years before opening it again for their own private enjoyment. This practice is more common amongst older farmers, and in other oolong regions as well. It is believed that Phoenix oolongs having been matured for decades are friendlier to the stomach. Although they would not be as as bright, floral or vibrant as younger ones, they are overall a lot more soothing, calming and indeed, comforting. Tea Hong’s Honey Orchid XO (Extra Old) 1992 delivers a much softer, smoother body with that signature honey sweetness but in the warm humbleness akin to a very fine shu cha Pu’er. If the other fresher Honey Orchid we offer is a Van Gogh, this XO version is a Rothko, metamorphically speaking*.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Jade Orchid, bouquet Phoenix oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 21.40雪片玉蘭香
Xue Pian Yu Lan Xiang
One of the most common practices in tea naming in the Fenghuang region is giving a tea the name of the flower which the farmer associates the aroma with. Some of such flowers are fictitious, yet some are real. Like this one, Yu-lan, after the flower tree Magnolia denudata, a.k.a. Yulan magnolia. Jade orchid — as the name "Yulan" is translated — is a tree native to the region where Phoenix is. The tea cultivar itself is relatively new, having been developed locally by a farmer Wei Li Man in the 1980’s. That is why the more popular name for the plant itself amongst local farmers is Li Man zhong, or Li Man’s cultivar. To me, the winter harvest resembles the flower’s aroma more closely so we select only this for Tea Hong’s Jade Orchid. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 33.20鳳凰單欉 獅頭 夜來香
Yelai Xiang Dancong
The complex, yet bright and lively floral aroma of this tea is associated with a native flower, yelai xiang, aka Chinese violet. It is a vine yielding light yellow small flowers that are especially fragrant at night, hence the name, yelai xiang — the fragrance that comes in the night, from which we have derived our product name. The plant is native in Guangdong province and neighbouring areas. It is the province where the Phoenix region situates. It has taken us some work to get to Lion Head Peak ( see below for more about the origin ) to acquire this best quality representation of the variety. Please enjoy.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Shèmen Dancong Double Baked, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 34.00文火深焙 老樹輋門單欉
Rock tea of Phoenix
Deep in Wudong, the most revered area for Fenhuang Dancong production, the village of Shèmen ( sheh-mehn ) is home to one of the most elusive traditional style oolongs. Here the Shè ( 畬 ) tribe settled a thousand years ago and began producing oolong to bake it in a way that was copied in Wuyishan a few hundred years later to produce Wuyi oolongs. Tea Hong’s double baked and matured Shèmen Dancong is our best attempt to reconstruct the same tea of the peace-loving and hard-working Shè people 10 centuries ago. This old style oolong gives a clear and most eloquent definition of the tea term yan-yun — music from the rock. The term has been mostly employed to describe better Wuyi oolongs yet it has never been more beautifully defined by this Phoenix tea. If you ever wonder about the relationship of the oolongs between the two regions, this may well be the link you are looking for.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Huangzhi Xiang Classic, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 27.10鳳凰單欉 慢焙 黃橘香*
Fragrance of Kumquat Fenghuang Dancong
Produced with the leaves from the cousin of our Song Cultivar, Tea Hong’s Huangzhi Xiang Classic is baked with more depth and thus a classic Phoenix oolong finish. Like all other tea of this family, patience and expertise in proper finish-processing and maturing is critical in delivering quality. It is a traditional art that has been largely forgotten. We are bringing it back at Tea Hong. The taste quality of this very Fenghuang Dancong tells you why this heritage matters. It is also the reason one may pay more elsewhere for a tea of the same name, but not quite getting the same level of enjoyment.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus, traditional flower scented oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Warm Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 23.40傳統竹籃文火窨花、桂花香鳳凰單欉
Traditional basket oven scented
For those who prefer finer tea tastes on top of real flower fragrance in their scented teas, Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus is an ultimate choice. Freshly picked osmanthus flower buds are sprinkled onto a thin layer of Honey Orchid Phoenix oolong in a bamboo basket over low charcoal ash fire. The same way as this has been done for centuries. The result is a natural, sweet, sensually aromatic epicurean experience few other scented teas can compare. Extended reading: Scenting of Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Wudong Cassia, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 30.30珍品鳳凰單欉 烏崠肉桂香
Rougui Xiang Dancong
Although the name rougui is the same as that variety from Wuyi, this tea is from a pure breed Fenghuang Dancong Shuixian cultivar. Sexual propagation of tea trees does give happy surprises and this is an example of it. Discovered and isolated in 1970 by a horticulturalist Mr Wei and has maintained a low profile to avoid unneeded trouble during the height of Cultural Revolution, the cultivar Fenghuang Rougui Xiang Dancong is only gradually picking up attention recently. Not all farmers are doing it right. It is a slow growing tea and only one harvest per year. We think every leaf is worth the search.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 44.80丹湖老樅 宋種黃橘香
A very special Huangzhi Xiang
Cutting away from the main trail towards the more visited Zhongxin Yin and Lizai Ping, hidden away behind a spur, there is this tiny secluded enclave in Wudong by the name of Danhu. As the mecca of Fenghuang Dancong, where the oldest form of oolong is the de facto tea to produce, Wudong is one of the major mounts of the Phoenix Mountains. Outside of the 7 major villages listed administratively, there are actually many other small areas where a few or even a couple of households make up a small tea haven of their own. Shaded on the north of the dark rock mountain, it is cool here even at 4 pm on a summer day. The tea forests here are mostly bushes 2 to 3 meters tall. Occasional 3 to 5 meter ones, each occupying a circular clearing around them, growing gloriously with their wide-spread crowns. Tiny patches of vegetables grown here and there under tea trees. The few families here have been tea farmers since their grandfathers remembered. As to when the old bush for our Song Cultivar have been here, no one can really tell.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack -
Big White Leaf, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 17.50鳳凰清香 大白葉
Fenghuang Da Baiye:
Produced using a Phoenix native cultivar Da Baiye ( i.e. Big White Leaf ), and has certain taste similarity as the rarer Song Cultivar Huangzhi Xiang, this tea is popular amongst traders for use as a substitute for the pricier label. Tea Hong’s top quality selection, Big White Leaf is certainly a good demonstration of how this tea can fool the lesser experienced connoisseurs. That said, however, the trained tongue can certainly tell it is a fine tea on its own for the uniqueness in its floral aroma, silky texture and soft, smooth body.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Honey Orchid Supreme, classic Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 35.80鳳凰極品 老樅蜜蘭香
Old Bush Milan Xiang:
For real aficionados who would not be satisfied until they have discovered a deeper depth, a rounder fullness and a more lingering sweetness, we’d go overboard to offer the extreme. Rarest small batches of leaves from special bushes individually processed only by top masters. Such as this supreme quality Milan Xiang Dancong. For those who demand more potential from the leaves for fulfilling their infusion skills. For thirsty souls seeking a moment of tranquility in the depth of the tinkling after-sweetness of Honey Orchid Supreme.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Phoenix Classic, dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 19.80鳳凰蜜香 白葉單欉
Fenghuang Baiye:
Before Chaozhou Guest Hotel was privatised, this officially appointed lodging for visiting high-ranking government officials used to serve only classic style Phoenix oolongs in all of their restaurants*. Tea Hong’s Phoenix Classic could well be the special quality in the large white porcelain teapot on the breakfast table sitting next to bamboo steamers holding finely crafted dim sums for the privileged guests. All fine and quintessential characters of the classic Phoenix oolong can be found in this tea — Sweet, fruity, and lively with notes of peach and dried longan, lychee and sweet potato. A proud heritage of Guangdong oolong.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Eight Immortals Wudong, Phoenix dancong oolong
Cool Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, Tea$ 29.50極品鳳凰春茶、烏崠八仙單欉
Baxian Supreme:
This Fenghuang Dancong is rare in many ways. It is the best Eight Immortals we have tasted, including award winning ones. Not only is it mild but flavorful like a good Baxian should be, but also gently and yet persistently fragrant. The baked finish is optimise for depth in taste. This gives side benefits for friendliness to the weaker stomach as well as the potential for maturity. Not an easy task for making a bouquet style Phoenix oolong. Master Lin who grows this is a shy and mild person and an old friend. We could not be offering it at such great value otherwise.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Snow Orchid, bouquet Phoenix dancong oolong
Cold Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, Tea$ 21.40鳳凰冬茶、雪片銀花香
Xuepian Ya-shi Xiang:
Finer winter Phoenix oolongs have always been sought after for their unforgettable natural bouquet fragrances. To us, an aroma of a premium tea has to be complete with a winning taste profile. It has taken us over a decade to fine tune the mastery of the processing of the choicest harvest to attain a result we can be proud of. Presenting Tea Hong’s very own Snow Orchid, the roundest, smoothest, and by far the most seductively fragrant oolong ever known. It is our luscious indulgence secretly from Nature.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack