Our tea buying trip to Fujian ( and Guangdong Province ) was our best tea trek ever! We visited during the height of the spring tea season and had the opportunity to observe the manufacture of these famous teas. In northern Fujian we visited the ethereal and mysterious Wu Yi Shan mountains and observed the production of the legendary and distinctive dark strip-style Wu Yi Shan rock oolong or yan cha teas.

In southern Fujian we visited the Anxi area which is famous for the fragrant and flavorful semiball-rolled-style of oolong tea, such as Tieguanyin . ( see scented tea for our authentic Fujian Lapsang Souchong black tea - Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong. )

Our trip netted us some solid contacts for securing these spectacular teas which we are proud to offer. All of these oolongs are prime examples of their terroir -  it is a rare opportunity for tea enthusiasts to find so many of these important teas in one location! Don't miss out on the bold, minerally  flavors of these connoisseur-quality specialties, they are all limited-production teas and some of China's best.

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Fenghuang Dan Cong (Phoenix Mountain ‘single-trunk ‘or ‘single fragrance’) oolong is produced in the northeastern region of Guangdong Province near the city of Chazhou. Fenghuang Dan Cong teas are unique among China's oolongs.

Whereas Wu Yi Shan yan cha (rock oolong teas) are plucked from specific varieties of old tea bushes, Fenghuang Dan Cong teas are plucked from specific varieties of arbor-style tea trees, many of which are more than 300 years old and have grown to be close to twenty feet in height. Some of these trees have been pruned to a single trunk from which branching occurs, while others sprout from the ground with a 'fountain-style,' bush-like habit.

The oldest Fenghuang tea trees are living treasures. These trees yield small quantities of fresh leaf that is large in size. The resulting teas are extremely flavorful and seductively aromatic. Teas made from the fresh leaf of tea trees over 50 years old are named after their specific tree variety which are referred to collectively as 'fragrances’ ( Mi Lan Xiang, Huang Zhi Xiang, Ba Xian, etc). Fenghuang Dan Cong oolongs of this quality and age are some of the most powerfully aromatic teas produced anywhere.

The best Fenghuang Dan Cong oolongs exhibit a palate-teasing abundance of mineral, floral, and ripe, stone-fruit flavors in the cup. Fenghuang Dan Congs are strip-style oolongs with dark brownish-grey or greenish-black coloration. These teas are charcoal-fired to a medium or heavy roast, and, like a fine burgundy wine, require patience and diligent steeping to coax the best flavor from the leaf.

Oolongs can be drunk young, rested or aged, so tea drinkers take age into account as a primary variable when purchasing oolongs. Learning about the influence of aging adds awareness of what is being purchased, as well as a dimension of fascination and complexity to oolong teas.

To read more about the topic of  New Tea, Rested Tea, and Aged Tea, click here.

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Taiwan oolong teas are renowned for their lovely, fruity and floral aromas reminiscent of honey, peaches, orchids and apricots. These teas encompass a wide range of oxidation levels and two distinct leaf styles. In the vicinity of Pinglin in the north, the open-leaf-style Baozhong (12%-18% oxidation ) is the specialty. This is the least oxidized of all Taiwan oolongs, and is sometimes referred to as a ‘green’ tea (even though it is not processed the way a green tea would be). A bit south and to the west, Hsinchu county is home to Bai Hao oolong ( also known as Oriental Beauty ). This elegant, open-leaf-style oolong is 65%-75% oxidized and possesses a honey-like, peachy flavor.

The high-mountain areas of central Taiwan are home to semiball-rolled Jade Oolongs such as Tung Ting, and gao shan High Mountain oolongs ( tea grown at over 6,000 ft ) from Ali Shan, Shan Lin Xi and Li Shan. Modern style versions of these teas undergo 25%-40% oxidation, and minimal to no roasting. Traditional styles are higher in oxidation and can be given a light, medium or full roasting.  These teas are richly floral, highly aromatic, and possess fresh, clean lingering flavors, and are some of the world’s finest and most expensive teas.

Similar to but very different in flavor than China’s oolong teas, Tea Trekker’s Taiwan oolong selections are sweet, refreshing and smooth & distinctive - uniquely Taiwanese in character.

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