Culinary Specialties CooksShopHere- Oolong Tea: Wu Yi Shan Phoenix Oolong

Black

Oolong

Wu Yi Shan
Phoenix Oolong
2011 Early Spring

Wu Yi Shan yan cha
Fujian Province, China
60 - 70% oxidation
Moderate roasting
Single, openly-twisted, medium length leaves
Matte dark gray/black leaf
Slightly woody, light charcoal fire flavor
Elegant, floral dan-cong-style aroma
Amber-orange liquor tinged clear

4 oz	8 oz	16 oz
25.00 Buy	50.00 Buy	100.00 Buy

This exceptional tea needs an introduction and a short explanation. It is the result of modern experimentation in the tea garden and very careful leaf pluck and manufacture. When this tea was presented to us for tasting we were told it was a Phoenix oolong – a dan cong tea. Sure enough, it had the right appearance: a long, thick, strip-style leaf with a rich charcoal grey color with an occasional slight tinge of dark brown and greenish gold in the leaf. The aroma had the identifiable floral sweetness of a Phoenix oolong, and certainly when we tasted the tea the flavor seemed to be that of a well-made, lovely dan cong from a plantation tea garden.

After tasting the tea we learned that we were enjoying a dan cong-style tea grown in the outer regions of the Wu Yi Shan in northern Fujian Province. In other words, this was a hybrid tea that was neither yan cha nor dan cong, but a skillfully made newcomer that was manufactured from Phoenix oolong tea bushes ( original to northern, coasted Guangdong Province ) that had been planted and grown in the inland Wu Yi Shan area of Fujian Province.

The verdict ? We think this tea is delightful and we recommend it as an excellent, user friendly choice for tea enthusiasts who want to become familiar with dark, strip-style oolong tea. The aroma of this tea is more reminiscent of the lush, fruity Phoenix oolong style than the austere, minerally, heavy-roast style of Wu Yi Shan oolongs.

Each steeping released a cascade of aromas in the cup that hinted at yellow plums, white figs and ripe peaches: a lovely complement to the slightly woody, lightly charcoal-fired flavor of the tea. The characteristic Phoenix oolong style suggested to us that in this case the tea bush variety wielded more influence over the finished flavor and aroma of the tea than the influences of soil and climate (terroir).

One does not always have the opportunity to taste the result of such an interesting switch of tea bush variety and place. This tea can be successfully re-steeped in a Yixing tea pot at least ten times – perhaps more. We give the leaf a quick rinse, discard the 1^st infusion, and then proceed to steep and drink. The leaf does not build to a crescendo and then fall off as some dark oolongs do: it stays evenly flavorful from 2^nd to final cup. We have drunk this tea several times with others and each time have been sated by the 10^th steeping and have stopped. But each time the tea was ready to keep going.

Wu Yi Shan Phoenix oolong is an exceptional tea that tea enthusiasts will enjoy drinking all winter long.

Western-style steeping: (Medium to large sized teapot: 20-32 oz)
Use 2-3 heaping teaspoons (2-3 grams) of tea per each 6oz water
Steep 1-3 infusions at 2-3 minutes each.
Water temperature should be 195˚ - 205˚ F

Asian-style steeping: (small teapots under 10 oz or a gaiwan)
Use 2-3 Tablespoons (5-6 grams) of tea per each 6oz water
Steep upwards of 6-8 infusions (or more!) at 10 seconds to 1 minute each
Water temperature should be 195˚ - 205˚ F