Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix Mountain Dancong

Wow my cupboard is getting full of tea of the month. I guess I slow a bit when it gets warm outside. I decided to dig in for unique Oolong.
The dry leaf of this tea looks very delicate. Long, thin, dried ribbons between one inch and two inch in length. The dry nose is of driftwood, light apple chips, and a little muscatel.
I started with a quick rinse then got into the first steep:
1st (5 sec.): Wet leaf has strong dark roasty notes with a hint of citrus piff. I first notice the super creamy mouth-feel with flavors of light spice. It is also very bright and lively.
2nd (5 sec.): This brew is twice as dark as the previous as the leaves begin to open more. Much more fruity and bright. Grapefruit rind and light roast come through heavier with vegital tones in the middle. A tropical flavor rests on your tongue for a good couple minutes after your sip.
3rd (5 sec.): The roast is falling to the back with vegital holding strong. I am starting get a sweetness coming through, reminiscent of honey. Color has lightened from previous.
4th (8 sec.): Almost all the dark roast in the beginning is gone. Even the vegital is diminishing. Still holding a heavy mouth-feel and light sweetness.
Overall a very nice tea. The tea is beautiful to look at, and looks like there was much care taken while processing. Flavors are pleasing, but wish they hung around for a few more steering’s. I was hoping that the tropical note from the second steep would have stayed and built a little more. Would definitely recommend.

Oops never rated nor wrote any notes on this one yet. When I brew this at home it is a very nice oolong and I would definitely love to have it around the house…however compared to the other oolong/black teas from Verdant I have (or the other types of oolongs I have), this one doesn’t brew well when I take it in my travel mug to work :(
I tried it today and ended up drinking it bitter…for this reason only, I am giving it a slightly lower rating. It is not as versatile for my needs as some other oolongs I have in stock.

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.

Used my Gaiwan for this one. Did a rinse then steeped for 30 seconds.
The liquor is very perfumed with citrus flowers which smell fantastic. I have a Meyer Lemon tree and other citrus trees in my garden and the hummingbirds go crazy during citrus blooming season.
Oh wow!! I do taste grapefruit. Far out!! This is a very cleansing tea with some unusual flavors!!
Thank u to Terri Harplady for spoiling me with lovely samples!

First Dancong and I am blown away!!! Definitely enjoying it more than most of the yancha I’ve tried tbh. The roasted notes dont come through in the brew like most yancha. The flavor is subtle yet complex initially, and becomes more potent past infusion 3.

I’ve never known what an orchid smells like. I do have a recently acquired Phalaenopsis orchid in my apartment, so I spent some time trying to smell those flowers. The smell was not apparent at first, but I did eventually pick up a mild and pleasant smell with my nose. On re-tasting the tea immediately afterwards, I can see why people think it gives off an orchid aroma.

The mouthfeel is quite enticing here. It is hard to describe. Feels somewhat wet while the tea is in your mouth, but after swallowing, I can’t really say that my tongue feels like it was wet just a second ago. I find with most teas that my tongue is either left overly dry and craving more fluid, or feeling like the tea still lingers and my tongue is still wet. It is as if this tea strikes the perfect balance of astringency to just fall in the middle of these two.

The aftertaste is also a fascinating experience. Even after the tea has left your mouth for a bit, certain aromas and flavors (especially grapefruit) and a tingling sensation pop into existence as if out of thin air! It also lasts many minutes after I’ve swallowed the liquor.

As the infusions progress, some honey flavor comes out of the tea, but is not present for the first 4-5 infusions to my palate. Longevity was great at 12-13 infusions for me.

DEFINITELY buying more of this when I run out.

Harvest: Spring 2022
Location: Wudongshan, Guangdong

Dry leaf: fruity, roasted.
Wet leaf: malt.
Flavor: honey, grapefruit, orchid, floral, sweet, melon.

This is a rather fussy dan cong that is easy to mess up if not brewed with precision. Flash infusions using very hot water are the way to go here. Verdant’s generic method of 20s steeps plus 10s guarantees bitterness. Hojo’s brewing instructions for dan cong worked best here: 3g of tea for a 120 ml gaiwan, quick rinse followed by a 10s steep and “touch and go” from there on out.

When steeped right, the flavor is smooth and very refined. Juicy white peaches and honey greet the palette in the early steeps. Later infusions have sandalwood, a little minerality, and fruitiness. The roasting is here is subtle and doesn’t hit you over the head. Compared to Yunnan Sourcing’s Mi Liang Xiang, it’s not as roasty and has a bit more depth.

A lovely, exquisite tea that showcases what dan cong can and should be.

dried leaf gives off dried cherries and nuts
wet leaf is woodsy, plum, marijuana

beautiful oranged hued amber liquor
First steep very minerally and woodsy. Lingering finish with slight bitterness.
not as overtly fruity as some other mi lan xiangs that i’ve tried
But yes, there is stone fruit. bit of charcoal as the steeps go on

I should probably add that i’ve got a slight cold, so senses not at their peak

medium intensity with less than medium astringency

I have had this sample approximately forever. So with wanting to try my new tea cup, but not wanting a puerh, I decided to try this tea. Finally.

Dry, it smells sweet. Honey-sweet-potato, almost. I did a quick pour-through rinse of the leaves. They’re still carby, but there’s a bit of a spice, or pepper note.

Steeped ~ 20 seconds, it smells really floral. But it’s bitter as heck.

Ok, let’s try 5 seconds. (My new cup is the perfect size, BTW. Loving it!) That’s a bit better. Still, it smells quite sweet and floral, with lots of carby notes, but it isn’t really. It’s still bitter, but not undrinkably so. I am using hot water on this, as I’m doing shorter steeps. I would have expected the tea to hold up better for this (my options are 208F or 140F…).

This tea is a miss for me. There is some potential in the carby floral sweet notes, but it doesn’t come through. Oh well.

I am drinking down the last of this tonight. I couldn’t decide on what I wanted to drink, I had time to gong fu and this was sitting in the pile of one more cup/session. I can’t believe I haven’t written about this one yet. Tonight this is magic. Super juicy and sweet. There is very little bitterness. I remember this not working for me every single time I made it, but tonight it is hitting the spot. I think this maybe my first time to brew in gwiawan for this one which was probably my mistake before.

Wow! What a difference a little tea knowledge can make. I’m still sipping on this tea, after having purchased it several months ago. Fortunately, I ordered plenty of it. I’ve read that it’s one of the least forgiving teas to make gongfu, and so, is great for practicing. After reading some instructions from a tea master who specializes in this style of tea, I think I’ve finally mastered it. Thus, I’ve decided to include some tips for beginners, because I’ve decided that this is probably some of the best tea I’ve ever drank in my life. It does require some skill, though. So, here’s some useful information:

Using a 4oz gaiwan, it is not necessary to preheat your gaiwan for this type of tea. Leaf quantity should be between 4 and 6 grams. However, as you learn this tea, you’ll want to begin by using less quantity of only 5, or even just 4 grams, and work your way up. Start by using one short 5-10 second blanch, or wash. Then, steep for at least 20 to 30 seconds (5-10 seconds is insufficient to extract the subtle sweet taste and aroma), or longer to develop more body in the resulting liquor. Again, start with less time, and work your way up. Water temperature before pouring should be close to 90*C or 190*F, and should result in slightly cooler (about 185*F) as it settles in around the gaiwan. Always pour around the outer rim of the gaiwan so that the porcelain will absorb the heat, and not scorch the tea. Pour from height for the wash step, and pour low for the infusions. This will bring out the sweet and floral notes, while avoiding the bitter astringent qualities which this tea can be so unforgiving about. In order to prevent over-steeping, you should pour the tea out of the gaiwan somewhat quickly into a cha hai or aroma cup. Also, be sure to enjoy the lingering aroma left behind in your cha hai, or aroma cup, after decanting. Always decant the tea liquor as low as possible to avoid losing the aroma. Also, you should always use small gongfu tea cups, so that the tea will cool quickly enough to prevent loss of aroma and taste before it is safe enough to sip. Try to drink it all in 3 big sips, and get it all the way around the tongue and oral cavity. It’s not necessary to slurp, but doing so will help to cool the tea, and bring out more of the sweet flavor, and it helps to draw in some of the aroma to your nasal cavity. You should notice a delicious sweet taste with no bitterness present. I found it to be remarkably similar to blue agave nectar, yabao, or even dōngfāng měirén, but less fruity, and more like a burnt sugar.