Lao Cong Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid) Phoenix Dan Cong

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Grapefruit, Lemon, Mineral, White Grapes, Bitter, Flowers, Grass, Honey, Malt, Orchids, Roasted, Vegetables, Astringent, Lychee, Orchid, Vegetal, Wood
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Medium
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Cameron B.
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 g 5 oz / 134 ml

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8 Tasting Notes View all

  • “This was a free sample with one of my orders a while ago.  It’s very sad I’m not trying teas like this when they are fresher.  But as ever,  Teavivre’s packaging is great so I’m sure that helps. ...” Read full tasting note
    87
  • “Gongfu Sipdown (714)! Pulling the tasting description from Instagram… “a little rough around the edges but beautiful floral lychee, white grape, and plum notes persist if you push past the first...” Read full tasting note
    63
  • “The tiny sample pouch I had of this was opened, and who knows for how long, so my expectations weren’t particularly high. But, as sometimes happens, I got a happy surprise when trying the tea – it...” Read full tasting note
    92
  • “An interesting tea. The dry leaves are BIG and reminded me of the valiant attempts of Indian tea makers to present their huge-leafed Assams and Nilgiries as something artisanal instead of...” Read full tasting note
    83

From Teavivre

Origin:
Fenghuang Town, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China

Harvest Time:
March 15, 2018

Plucking Standard:

One bud with two leaves

Dry leaf:
Tight and even strips, dark brown bloom glossy with honey aroma

Aroma:
Lasting orchid fragrance and strong honey aroma

Liquor:
Bright orange color

Taste:
Mellow and smooth taste with strong honey aroma, yielding a

long lasting fragrance with unique mountain flavor

Tea Bush:
Mi Lan Xiang Variety (the average age is about 90 to 100 years)

Tea Garden:
Da An Tea Garden

Caffeine:
Moderate caffeine (less than 20% of a cup of coffee)

Storage:
Store in airtight, opaque packaging; in cool, dry place

Shelf Life:
24 Months

About Teavivre View company

Company description not available.

8 Tasting Notes

87
4169 tasting notes

This was a free sample with one of my orders a while ago.  It’s very sad I’m not trying teas like this when they are fresher.  But as ever,  Teavivre’s packaging is great so I’m sure that helps.  This seems like a different tea on every level: the dry leaf, the wet leaf, the flavor of the tea couldn’t be more different.  Before steeping, the long dark leaves have a fragrance of dried hay.   After steeping, the scent was very strong, smoky with a hint of grapefruit which is very unique — I’ve never noticed that in any tea before.  The flavor is very citrusy, both grapefruit and lemon, maybe even some lemon myrtle with the smoke in the background.  I say smoke, but it’s really just that type of flavor that is this type of oolong — tough to describe!  Lingering flavors on the backsip of green grapes, minerals, sugarcane.  After the cup has cooled, the “smoke” moves to the front of the profile.  The color of the brew even looks like lemonade or water infused with lemon.  Then a lingering creaminess takes over.  The first steep was the best and I wished I had kept steeping with cooler water, shorter steep times because then the “smokiness” takes over more — less of those lighter flavors. Maybe this tea tasted more like “honey orchid” when it was fresher? Again I could kick myself for not drinking it sooner.   I certainly don’t usually prefer teas like this one, but this might be the best I’ve tried.   Very unique, at least to me in my tea journey so far.
Note to self, steep cooler with shorter steeps.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 18 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep   
Steep #3 //  just boiled // 2 minute steep
Harvest: 2018

I hope everyone who celebrates is having a wonderful Christmas!

Flavors: Grapefruit, Lemon, Mineral, White Grapes

eastkyteaguy

For what it’s worth, I think a lot of people worry a little too much about age with Dancong oolongs. The thing to keep in mind is that a minimum of a light roast is applied to the majority of these teas, and when approaching a tea that is a little older, you need to consider the time of the final roast application more than the harvest date. Let’s Say a tea is harvested in mid-February. That doesn’t mean it was finished then. You have to consider the time spent controlling the oxidation process and then the time spent applying the roast, which can last over the course of several weeks or longer. Oolong is traditionally finished in stages. That mid-February tea may not truly be finished until mid-late March or even sometime in April. And because Dancong oolongs are usually roasted, even if only to a limited extent, they tend to hold up fairly well in storage and develop a little further as long as they are stored with care. The way I think of it is: people don’t worry much about age with other roasted oolongs, even things like lighter roasted Zhangping Shui Xian or Taiwanese oolongs, so as long as you’re dealing with a tea that was finished within the last 36 months and was stored sealed in a controlled environment, you’re probably golden. The big difference is that the rested tea will probably be softer, smoother, and less astringent. Keep in mind, though, that some of the more heavily roasted Dancongs are suitable for long-term aging.

tea-sipper

Thank you – good to know. However, this is a 2018 harvest instead of 2019.. so I consider that I should have tried it sooner. I worry about the age of ALL my teas, regardless of type. But I see what you’re saying!

Togo

Indeed, in fact I’ve heard that some people even wait about a year for the roast of Dan Congs (and obviously Yancha) to settle before they start selling it! Only the greenest of Dan Congs are supposed to be consumed within a few months.

tea-sipper

Well that does make me feel better about waiting a bit longer then. :D

ashmanra

Good to know, eastkyteaguy! The depth of your tea knowledge astounds me!

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63
15575 tasting notes

Gongfu Sipdown (714)!

Pulling the tasting description from Instagram…

“a little rough around the edges but beautiful floral lychee, white grape, and plum notes persist if you push past the first couple steeps along with a pleasant and mild roast – though a little bit of a sharp sour note in the finish. Still, an excellent way to start the morning overall…”

Six resteeps, I do believe.

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1TxmtMghMN/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONasjQ9RrvQ&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ&index=121&t=0s

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92
6105 tasting notes

The tiny sample pouch I had of this was opened, and who knows for how long, so my expectations weren’t particularly high. But, as sometimes happens, I got a happy surprise when trying the tea – it was delicious! Full of honey, minerals, florals. Hands down the best darker oolong I’ve had in a long time (non-green? Oxidized? I’m not sure how to say that…) I juuuust ordered DavidsTea’s Phoenix Oolong as my Frequent Steeper freebie, and I’m hoping it’s even half as delicious as this one.

Unfortunately, that’s what I remember from last night – I’m drinking this after the sticky rice oolong today, and literally all I can taste is that flavour, so I’m going to leave the last sip or two of this until my tastebuds have been cleared a bit. That sticky rice flavour is so persistent…

Thanks to Teavivre for the lovely sample!

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83
226 tasting notes

An interesting tea. The dry leaves are BIG and reminded me of the valiant attempts of Indian tea makers to present their huge-leafed Assams and Nilgiries as something artisanal instead of pulverizing them into CTC. So I subconsciously feared something assamishly rough and brash.

Well, no, this oolong produced a very pale liquid with interesting flavors. After a first gaiwan steep it was very delicate, honeyed and floral (reminded me of tulips). Each subsequent steep was different and demonstrated that this is a tea well-suited for a gong fu brewing. Malt, orchids, roast, grassiness, slight bitterness, vegetables all took their turns taking the central stage through the subsequent steepings – and you can get MANY of them out. It also had a nice lingering aftertaste.

All in all, this tea never knocks you down off your feet with the amazing taste or aroma but it certainly keeps your drinking session interesting with constant changes.

Flavors: Bitter, Flowers, Grass, Honey, Malt, Orchids, Roasted, Vegetables

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79
152 tasting notes

This tea is a medium oolong with a light amber color and a nice sweet aroma. It has a pronounced honey taste and is sweet but not overpowering. It has a velvety texture that makes it feel like I’m drinking a warm glass of honey. There is a hint of floral flavor that comes on a little stronger as the tea cools.

Flavors: Honey

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 g 5 OZ / 147 ML

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81
413 tasting notes

I’m surprised this is the first review of this tea. Thanks, TeaVivre, for sending it as part of a free sample promotion earlier this year. I put the entire 7 g sample in a 120 ml teapot, which it filled right to the brim. Steeps were at 200F for 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 120, and 240 seconds.

This lives up to its name, with honey, orchid, mild roast, and lychee-like sweetness. There’s a slight astringency in the aftertaste, which is not surprising given the amount of leaf. In later infusions, notes of wood, minerals, and veggies emerge.

Although this was by no means a complex tea, its honey and orchid character was pronounced and pleasant. I’ll have no problem finishing the two other samples I have on hand, and would consider buying more if I didn’t already own three other iterations of this type of tea.

Flavors: Astringent, Honey, Lychee, Mineral, Orchid, Roasted, Vegetal, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 7 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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