ZO97 Feng Huang Dan Cong

I’m not sure if there is a difference between Fen Huan and Feng Huang…any ideas?

This was the very first whole leaf oolong I tried. Just smelling the dry leaf is like sticking your nose in the center of a flower. My first thought was that it had been perfumed. On the first infusion (30 seconds) I was so overwhelmed by the floral fragrance that all I could note was a sweetness on the palate.

Second time around I steeped for 1 minute. I was more prepared for the aroma this time and was able to note other characteristics. Along with flowers, there is an earthiness to the aroma. The liquor was a pretty amber color. The flavor has a slight fruitiness, a bit of woodsiness, very soft. There are subtleties going on that I have a hard time describing. I infused several times and it still had a nice flavor with good fragrance.

The thing that really stands out is the crazy strong floral fragrance. I’ve never had another tea like it. I look forward to trying some more Dan Congs for comparison.

This is a dramatically different Oolong than you’d find at your neighborhood dim sum joint. The tanins are more pronounced and there is less of a metallic tinge that I normally associate with cheap Chinese teas. The aroma is slightly floral and the taste is ever so sweet. The color is a classic light caramel and it brews up cleanly with few particles making it through the filter. Of course this depends on how fine your mesh is.