Phoenix Honey Orchid (Gushu Old Tree)

Tea Type: Oolong Tea

Tea Region: Da'an Village, Wu Dong Shan, Guangdong Province, China

Vintage: 2021 Spring

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Transluscent, dense orange golden coloured liquor.  
• Aroma:  Fruity (passion fruit, peach, grapefruit) and floral (orange blossom) notes.
• Flavour: A succession of complex flavours - fruity (peach, passion fruit), floral (orange blossoms, rose) on a refreshing pine wood background. 
• Mouthfeel: Vibrant, juicy liquor with sweet, fruity and floral finish which lasts persistently long in the palate. 

Brewing Guidance

• Measure 1g of tea per 100ml water. Boil water to 85℃. Steep for 4-5 minutes.

Reference: Op. 123

Phoenix Honey Orchid is a Oolong coming from the prestigious Da'an Village, Wu Dong Shan, Guangdong Province, China. Phoenix Honey Orchid is also known as "Mi Lan Xiang" in Mandarin Chinese, which literally means "Honey Orchid Aroma". The aroma is complexe with honey, floral (orange blossom), fruits (apricot, grapefruit) and rosewood notes. 

Brewing Guidance

• Gong Fu: 4g of tea leaves / 100ml Gaiwan / 90C water. 
• Measure 3g of tea per 250ml water. Boil water to 90℃. Steep for 4 minutes. 

Awards: 2 star at Great Taste Awards 2019

Reference: Op. 123

Tips for Tea Connoisseurs

"Dancong", translated into "single shrub" or "single bush" in Chinese, refers to an individual tea plant cultivated from a variety of Shui Xian cultivar. As the sub-varietals of Shui Xian cultivars grown on the region have very different characteristics in terms of leaf and tree shape, teas made from different individual shrubs happened to develop very distinctive aroma and flavour profile from one to the other, which explains why the oolong teas produced in the region are called as "Dancong Oolong". 

Mi Lan Xiang, which means "Honey Orchid Aroma", is a legendary Dancong oolong tea from Guangdong Province, China. Our Phoenix Honey Orchid, Mi Lan Xiang comes from Da'an Village in Wu Dong Mountain, 1100m above sea level, which forms the Phoenix Mountain Range (Feng Huang Shan) in eastern Guangdong Province. Carefully cultivated and crafted by our great tea master, Mr. Huang, the 8th generation tea farmer, this Tong Tian Xiang is an outstanding phoenix oolong that will satisfy even the most discerning palate of phoenix oolong tea connoisseurs.

Once brewed, you'll understand why this tea stands out among other commercial grade Phoenix Honey Orchid you've tried in the market. The tea has such a pronounced, bright peach, grapefruit, floral and honey notes.  The most amazing part of this tea is finish - the refreshing, zesty, juicy grapefruit flavour that lasts so long on the palate. 

In Mr. Huang's tea garden, there are many old tea trees (gushu) with their age varying between 100 and 600 years old and he only produces the very finest, top of the cream phoenix dancong oolong tea from these rare, precious gushu trees. Also, as these trees are strictly protected by the Chinese government, they are not allowed to use any pesticide either. We were really impressed by the diversity of tea cultivars in their tea garden and the quality of their phoenix oolongs during our visit last year. 

As with all the teas, oolong tea also offers us health benefits to increase our sense of well-being. Several studies indicate that oolong tea is a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols and it may well be just as beneficial as green tea to promote weight loss and cardiovascular health by reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol. 

If you like this product you may also like Phoenix Eight Immortals.