Heavenly Fragrance (Tong Tian Xiang 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 golden coloured liquor.  
• Aroma:  Sweet, creamy floral (frangipani, tuberose, nectarine blossom), fruity (custard apple, quince) notes evolve into sweeter, jammed fruit (raspberry confiture) notes. 
• Flavour: A succession of complex flavours - floral (magnolia, gardenia, rose), vanilla, biscuity, fruity (quince, custard apple) on warm, milky background. 
• Mouthfeel: Mellow, supple liquor with silky mouthfeel. Incredibly sweet, refreshing, floral finish which completely coats the palate. 

Brewing Guidance

• Measure 1g of tea per 100ml water. Boil water to 90℃. Steep for 4 -5 minutes. 

Reference: Op. 129

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". 

Tong Tian Xiang, which means "Heavenly Fragrance", is a legendary Dancong oolong tea from Guangdong Province, China. Heavenly Fragrance, "Tong Tian Xiang" is less known than other more known phoenix oolong teas such as Phoenix Honey Orchid (Mi Lan Xiang), Phoenix Eight Immortals (Ba Xian), as its cultivation and production is much smaller than other phoenix oolongs and there are not many tea farmers who make Tong Tian Xiang in Wudong Mountain. When tea farms produce Tong Tian Xiang, usually it's the tea that demands the highest price tag among different phoenix oolongs. 

Our Heavenly Fragrance Tong Tian 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 is called "Heavenly Fragrance". The tea has a magical, floral character and the brewed liquor is a real orchestra of flowers (magnolia, gardenia, rose, orchid) and there is a distinctive vanilla note on the milky, creamy background. There is a subtle fruity flavour you find in custard apples. The most amazing part of this tea is finish - the refreshing, floral note completely coats your palate and it persistently stays on your throat. A very unique refreshing, vegetal note you can get from Taiwanese high mountain jade oolong from Shan Lin Xi region. 

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.