Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix Mountain Dancong

Alright, after surviving my last two exams and helping a friend move out, I finally have time to actually post a note. This is actually my second cup of tea, as I was really nervous this morning and made myself a cup of fukamushi sencha to calm down. Anyway, I went into this tea with kinda low expectations, as I really didn’t like the last dancong I had, but I was pleasantly surprised by this tea. This one is also juicy, but the flavors present seem better to me. This first cup displays evidence of something woody/spicy, and is a bit sweeter than I expected. I can’t wait to see how it develops.

To clarify, the previous cup was a bit rushed, and was interrupted frequently as my suite mate was moving out. That’s why I was a bit vague. Anyway, the second cup was really, really good. I actually got a chance to check out the aroma while it was still nice and hot, and it was simply astounding. The sandalwood seems to envelop me, making everything seem more peaceful and relaxing (which is amazing, considering I’m in my dorm room in the middle of packing, and there is stuff thrown everywhere). There are some other aromas present, but my allergies are acting up a bit, so they’re hard to catch for me right now. Anyway, the tea’s taste is also wonderful, with a bit more fruitiness than last time, but still retaining the juiciness of the previous cup. There is also a nice spice flavor developing, but it’s still a bit muddled.

Mmm, the third cup displays delightful development for the spice flavors. It tingles on my tongue after each sip. It’s also warming, which is nice since the weather took a turn for the worse and it’s raining right now. Anyway, back to the tea, it’s remarkable that it’s such a “warm” tea, yet is still tastes so juicy. It’s a very pleasant combination.

The forth and final cup was really nice, much like the third but more mellow. The spicy tingling has been reduced to a much weaker sensation. It’s kind of hard to describe, but it’s less and a tingle, but there is still a sensation involved. Anyway, it’s very pleasant, and I’m glad that I had a few hours to really do justice to this tea.

Okay I know I oversteeped this as I thought I had grabbed the Big Red Robe to try… so I steeped for about a minute… This tastes great!

This was our evening tea last night and our morning tea today.

I owe this tea a real tasting note; I’ve been thinking about what to write since I first tried it in the spring. I will not do that justice today- let this serve as a reminder and placeholder.

I was absolutely elated to find this as my free sample with my last order. Dan congs are a special favorite of mine. They always seem to have something hiding in them that burst out when you least expect it. And this tea was no exception. The flavor profile began like most other good mi lan xiangs do: a nice honeyed sweetness, middle tones of orchid, some stone-fruit or citrus flavors near the top, and roasted, woody undertones. It had great body, an excellent finish, and a clean, sweet and warm aftertaste.

Into the sixth and seventh steep, spicy notes came through, which was a pleasant surprise. From then on to steep 10, nothing changed much. Still great flavor, great body, good character. But then I came across steep 11. This was some crazy voodoo. I could have sworn someone swapped the leaves in my gaiwan for those of another tea. The flavor profile changed so drastically I could not even believe. It turned completely on its head. Heavier flavors like a new earthiness, a stronger wood flavor, and a bark-like flavor swam to the top, while the more delicate flavors of honey, florals, and stone-fruits either vanished or became undertones. The aftertaste became heartier, more “beefy,” and the mouthfeel which was not very interesting to me until this moment, became thicker and fuller.

To explain this, I’m going to guess that the leaves finally opened fully at this point, which released a ton of flavor previously trapped. The leaves had still been, until around this point in the session, twisted very tightly, still having the appearance of the dry leaf. Whatever the reason, it was a pretty fun sample to try. One thing I did notice about the leaves, though, is that there were a ton of empty stems. I won’t complain about them, because it didn’t seem to affect the tea much, but it was something I don’t find as much in other dan congs.

I used about half the packet of my 7gram sample and steeped for 25 sec in 8 oz water, after rinsing once. The aroma of the wet leaves was interesting. I didn’t really analyze it, but it certainly made me interested to try the tea. At first it was more delicate than I expected, but as I slowly sipped the flavors came out. It certainly is honey/woodsy sweet; it has a floral flavor that I haven’t encountered before. Pairing the indistinguishable floral with the sweet honey plus the woodsy-ness makes this very enjoyable. I’m curious how each sip will taste. By the middle of my cup my tongue feels completely coated in sweetness. I think my favorite part so far about this tea is the aftertaste. I feel like I’m breathing honeysuckle.
I’m going to continue to steep this out a bit. Once again, the idea that these flavors come from leaves is impressive!

I got this as a sample, thanks! The dried tea leaves are large,thin and dark; smell: grain, melon, honey. It tastes so good, I love the grainy/malty notes and grapefruit and honey aftertaste.
To me this does not need any sugar as it is quite sweet. Then again I don’t like sugar in any tea.

I’m so excited to try this one! My husband remarked that the dry leaf smelled like licorice to him. The leaves are large, deep brown, and a bit shiny.
1st steep 10sec.: Very light. The flavor isn’t too overt. It is fruity, sweet, and clear.
2nd steep ~20sec: The first steep seemed really light, so I stepped up the timing a bit. This is (oddly) very floral. It reminds me of magnolias. It is also a bit fruity as well.
3rd steep 25sec: Very flavorful. There are fruit, floral, and some rock notes in this cup.

Essentially the same as this one(so my tasting note from there can easily be applied) : http://steepster.com/teas/jk-tea-shop-online/27011-2011-spring-premium-mt-wudong-huang-zhi-xiang-gardenia

The difference in taste and smell is negligible enough to make 2 different names for this tea look kinda strange.

Compared to JK’s this one has weaker smell when put in water but retains taste for more steepings. Tbh, I’d go with JK Tea Shop’s version as their smell is way more powerful.

I have been drinking this over the past two days.. three steeps last night, two tonight.
Really really delectable. It tastes like honey and stone fruits with a slight roasted edge, sandalwood and jasmine.
The fifth cup has a really lovely plum taste as a lingering flavour. I’m really really enjoying my sample of this!

On another note – I haven’t been able to access my notices for the past week. Whats going onnnnn???!!! Hmph.

I was craving an oolong this morning so I decided on give this one a try. I decided to use my going of teapot. I rinsed my leaves (1tsp) twice.

Steep 1: steeped for 20 sec. It tastes earthy and sweet. So much honey, but its also creamy. In the aftertaste I get some grapefruit? Mmm yum I love the refreshing aftertaste.

Steep 2: steeped for 30 sec. In this steep the honey is stronger and I am starting to get a taste of floral. The grapefruit is still present in the aftertaste :)

Steep 3: steeped for 40 sec. There is more floral this time but a bit less honey. The grapefruit in the aftertaste is a bit less in the aftertaste now.

Steep4: steeped for 50 sec. The floral continues to increase with each steep but the creamy taste from the first steep has returned and is quite a bit stronger. There is still some honey and grapefruit.

I was definitely surprised with this tea regarding the grapefruit. Gonna have to get more of this.

This is not real Dancong.

Here I am making up for lost tea time in the last hour. This one does have a pleasant incensey smell while steeping, mixed with a faint honey/caramel. The flavor of honey remains when sipping it, but it’s not strong. Tastes like a subtle, buttery, warm oolong that does not leave my tongue dry.

Backlogging two steeps (first one for 5 rounds, second one for 2 rounds – got tired). I’m not rating this tea at the moment, since I’m slightly ill and my taste buds and sense of smell aren’t at the top of their game at the moment.
This tea starts out gently floral and sweet, and then mellows down to a less floral/spicy more sweet flavour. A good tea that I will want to try again once I’m over this flu bout.
I let the tea steep for a bit to long in my second round of my second taste of it, and it took on a bitter note – but the tea’s flavour was much more pronounced. This made me think that its worth experimenting with various steep times with this tea.

Excuisite, well rounded Dan Cong.
Brews a damn good cup of tea. Using traditionally short infusion times, it yields a subtle-flavored, sublimely fragrant brew.
Long lasting, multi faceted fragrance of what you would imagine
fairy tale grade floral honey to smell like.

I generally drink unsweetened tea. However, I tried this one with a little agave nectar with great results. Agave is gentle on the flavor while adding body to the tea. It brings out the flavors well, enhancing the nectar-like aspect of this oolong.

So clearly something is wrong with my sense of taste. I am not getting all these complex flavors as are the rest of you. This tea was part of my Verdant sampler and I have been putting off trying it because I am afraid of another floral oolong. The others in the sampler were certainly floral. I finally braved it. The most complexity I got at any point working with this tea was from the dry leaves. They have a very strong scent, riddled with flower and smells of the forest. The first two infusions were extremely delicate to me. I could pick up a faint floral aroma if I had my nose right to it, but there was very little flavor (I guess my taste buds are broken!). I have stated before that I am not terribly fond of florals, but I am slowly learning to tolerate them, at least. I don’t so much mind a floral aroma (and at times I can even appreciate it) so long as the flavor brings more variety and depth. I came to my computer to read other reviews about this tea and out of rash frustration, I decided to force something more from this one. I let the leaves stew several minutes (un-timed) in my Gaiwan. Well, that was a mistake. It didn’t taste like a flower, or honey, or fruit or anything palatable. I created a super bitter cup that I promptly poured out.

While I could take the time to figure this tea out, I don’t feel much up to it. I have too many other teas that get along with me just fine without much ado.

I decided to dedicate my new Xu De Jia teapot to Phoenix oolongs, and this was the first tea I brewed in it. This tea has notes of grapefruit, lychee, and the astringency reminds me of biting into a seed in a raspberry sauce. There is a definite spiciness too. The floral notes aren’t as strong as I prefer, and the finish isn’t lingering. Still one of my favorites.

intense sandalwood aroma and its dark color from this blend. i most say it is also very tasty! I followed the brewing instruction. It seems verdant tea get very good review and this one does not disappoint.

The texture is creamy and buttery and the flavor is hard for me to describe. All i know is i really like this tea. I infused this 3 times and all 3 were very good, each a little different which is very nice. would recommend.