Phoenix Iris Orchid Zhi Lan Xiang (Old Tree)

Tea Type: Oolong Tea

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

Vintage: 2019 Spring

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Transluscent, amber gold coloured liquor.  
• Aroma: Honey, floral (orchid, osmanthus, orange blossom), fruits (quince, peach, pineapple). 
• Flavour:  Floral (orange blossom, osmanthus), biscuity, fruity (kumquat, guava, grape skin) notes. Presence of minerality enhances its refreshing character. 
• Mouthfeel: Lively, light-bodied, smooth liquor. A very refreshing, unique floral sweetness stays long in the finish. 

Brewing Guidance

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

Reference: Op. 130

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". 

Phoenix Iris Orchid is a highly fragrant Dancong oolong tea from Guandong Province, China. Also known as "Zhi Lan Xiang" in Mandarin Chinese, which literally means "Zhi Lan Orchid Aroma", its name indeed reflects the distinctively sweet, floral and refreshing character of this rare oolong tea. 

Our Phoenix Iris Orchid Dancong Oolong Tea, made from the early spring harvest of the old tea bush grown in wild, rocky soil of Wu Dong Shan, 1100m above sea level, which forms the Phoenix Mountain Range (Feng Huang Shan) in eastern Guangdong Province, has been meticulously hand-rolled and painstakingly charcoal-roasted to offer a delightful liquor that brings out magnificent floral (orchid,orange blossom) and fruity (kumquat, grape skin) flavours.

The flavour and mouthfeel of Phoenix Iris Orchid is really quite unique in comparison to more mellow and rounded "Phoenix Heavenly Fragrance (Tong Tian Xiang)" or "Phoenix Eight Immortals (Ba Xian)" or more milky, floral "Duck Shit Dancong (Ya Shi Xiang)". Phoenix Iris Orchid has a very refreshing floral (rather than creamy floral) and fruity note with its delicate citrusy note, reminiscent of orange blossom and zesty kumquat. It doesn't feel buttery and silky like those above-menteiond Phoenix oolongs, but there is a presence of more minerality which enhances its unique refreshing character. Its flavour profile is somehow close to Phoenix Honey Orchid (Mi Lan Xiang), but with less fruity sweetness. 

An impressive phoenix dancong oolong that will definitely up your oolong tea game. 

Due to its sweet floral and zesty fruity flavour, Phoenix Iris Orchid is also perfect for summer as cold brew, yielding a highly aromatic infusion, which can be enjoyed as an elegant, refreshing non-alcoholic, healthy apero. 

All our phoenix oolong teas come from the 8th generation tea master, Mr. Huang, who has his tea farm in Da'an village in Wu dong Mountain. Mr. Huang's tea garden is a real diversity of old tea trees (gushu) with their age varying between 100 and 600 years old. Made from rare and precious gushu tea trees, his phoenix oolongs offer the very finest, caliber quality. Also, his oolong teas are all organic, as old gushu tea trees are strictly protected by the Chinese government, any pesticide and fertiliser is prohibited in his tea garden. 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  Qi Lai Mountain Concubine Oolong.