Wojciech Bońkowski
Master of Wine

Dancong 1994–1997

Dancong (Phoenix oolong) is one of the most distinctive teas. Exhuberant in youth, it also ages well, as this tasting of examples from 1994, 1996 and 1997 proves.

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2008 Dancong Milan AAA

A pretty orchid

Following yesterday’s post, here’a another Dancong from Jing Tea: the 2008 Dancong Milan AAA. Milan = Honey Orchid. A colloquial name apparently, since honey orchid doesn’t seem to be used outside the tea world. Milan Dancongs are usually among the lightest, most floral types as opposed to the darker-coloured, spicy Huangzhi styles.

Brewed in: zisha teapot
Dosage: 2.5g / 120ml
Dry leaf: rather smallish, straight and twisted. Considerably darker in colour than the AAA Yulan from Jing reviewed yesterday. Lovely aroma of orange spice and roasted almonds.

Infusion #1.

Tasting notes:
30s: Aroma cup is unexceptional I must say, pleasantly scented but much less distinctive and intense than the dry leaf. A good depth of orange-amber colour, surprising at this low dosage: apparently a highish oxidation and some roast for this DC (opposite to yesterday’s Yulan). Aroma shows a bit of almond and orange but is a bit generic ‘tea’-like, although the DC character is recognisable. A pleasantly balanced tea, good concentration and intensity, with the aromatic pizzazz blended into a more complete experience. No bitterness, good length, dominated by sweet fruit. Really quite good.
30s: As above, slightly less aromatic as often, but a characterful tea.
3m: Despite the lengthy brewing time this is really unbitter, confirming the excellent balance of this tea. Expressive, typical, utterly satisfying, this is a brilliantly made DC for a decent price ($32 / 100g).
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2008 Dancong Yulan AAA

Dancong goes green
I have been drinking quite a bit of Dancong tea recently. This family of oolong tea from the southernmost Chinese province of Guangdong (Canton), also known by the name of Phoenix tea, can boast some of the most incredible bouquets in the world of tea. Indeed, the many tea subvarieties and tea tree cultivars in the area are classified according to the natural aroma they mimic. So we have Magnolia, Orange Blossom, Grapefruit Blossom, Almond etc.

This tea-producing area is also renowned for the large amount of old wild trees still in use (the top teas are allegedly 100% old growth, and some even advertised as ‘single bush’; Dancong originally means just that); as a drawback, prices for the top grades are very high, often pushing $100 / 100g in the West.
This is only a very brief introduction to Dancong; for more info, see here.

Here I look at the 2008 Dancong Yulan AAA purchased from Jing Tea. At $29 per 100g, it can be said to be reasonably priced for an ambitious Dancong. Yulan means magnolia, so we know what aroma to look for. With Huangzhi (‘Orange Blossom’), this is the most popular variety of Dancong.

Brewed in: gaiwan
Dosage: 3.5g / 120ml
Dry leaf: Long and rather straight leaves that are surprisingly green. Usually Dancong is a medium oolong, meaning a moderate (~50%) oxidation. Here, there clearly is less. The aroma is extraordinarily flowery, with a mixture of orange blossom, lilac, and lilies perhaps.
Tasting notes:
30s: A clear, saturated yellow colour. Intense aroma is consistent with the dry leaves, narcotically flowery. Palate also has a flower petal bittersweetness, and an almost buttery texture with no aromatic other elements such as fruits or spices. Elegant, smooth, with good presence on palate and a longish finish. Rather elegant for a DC, this reminds me of Baozhong with its extravagant flowery crest over a rather slim body.
1m (overbrewed): Colour deepens into a yellow+. Interestingly this has not become bitter, but there is a flowery dustiness at the back of the throat.
45s: Now lighter in flavour and a little neutral, as if suffering from the previous, excessive infusion.
1m: Back to shape now. As often with Dancong, the initial top floral notes are gone, but what remains is a solid medium-bodied architecture and a streak of solid, invigorating, elegantly bitterish flavour akin to grated orange or grapefruit zest.


Overall, this is one of the more interesting teas I have tasted lately. It is unlike the majority of Dancongs, with their medium oxidation, medium roast, and a firm bitterish tannic support. This one is lighter, airier, very aromatic, but not weak or slim; green tea it is not. And fairly priced – unlike many Dancongs these days. I really, really like this tea in its style.
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