Phoenix Dan Cong (flower flavor) • 鳳凰單樅花的味道

Phoenix Dan Cong (flower flavor) • 鳳凰單樅花的味道
Fènghuáng dān cōng huā de wèidào

With my first order from The Chinese Tea Shop, Daniel included a sample of Phoenix Dan Cong "flower" flavour. It was much like the lightly fermented Phoenix Dan Cong from Kkik Da Geo, but the leaves looked slightly more brilliant. Bursts of yellow and red in the long, twisted leaves made them seem other-worldly, perhaps grown in the garden of the Jade Palace, where a Phoenix makes its nest.

The rinsed leaves became even more radiant, aflame with vivid hues radiating from the pot. As I continued through each steep, I couldn't resisting admiring the leaves before replacing the lid, possible negatively affect the infusion.

The session turned into an outright marathon with these nutrient-packed leaves. It started off as expected, building an elegant, floral, slightly bitter flavour over the first few infusions until by the fourth, a thick, salty after-taste, characteristic of Phoenix Dan Cong, had build in the back of the throat. After the fifth cup, there was an expected decline in intensity but instead of fading like a cloud of smoke over the next couple of steeps, it kept smoldering on and on until nearly two hours later, after the sixteenth infusion, there was no more room in my belly (or my bladder) for anymore and little left to be extracted from the leaves, even if I weren't about to burst.

The final treat was examining the leaves. I'd never seen leaves like them. Psychedelic-jelly leaves or down feathers left by the departed Phoenix as it fled back to paradise?

Unfortunately, this particular Dan Cong is out of stock at The Chinese Tea Shop, but I'll certainly be trying his others in future orders, and if this one returns, it will be on my list, as well!