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!

Phoenix Dan Cong (orchid flavor) • 鳳凰烏龍蘭花味

Phoenix Dan Cong (orchid flavor) • 鳳凰烏龍蘭花味
Fènghuáng Dān Cōng (lánhuā wèi)

It was a long time before my tea-making skills even began to match that of the folk at Kkik Da Geo. I still have a long way to go but I remember the excitement I felt when I was first able to get eight nice tasting infusions from a single pot, getting passed four was a huge step. Or even getting one great tasting cup, I used to exclaim to my wife, "It tastes like Kkik Da Geo!"

I was so fond of Phoenix Dan Cong that it was the first tea that I began to master. One day, after having a particularly successful Phoenix Dan Cong session, I dropped by the tea house just in time for the start of another pot of Phoenix Dan Cong.

With the taste of my earlier tea still lingering in my mouth, I couldn't wait to sip Mr Ahn's to confirm how similar my technique had become. My arrogance was quickly squashed as I raised the the first cup to my mouth, failing to observe the color and smell and took a sip of tea that that was absolutely nothing, NOTHING like my own.

"This is Phoenix Dan Cong?" I asked. With a grin, as though he knew my mind, he explained that it was a lighter fermentation process, only 25%, compared to the 50% fermentation of the "honey" Phoenix Dan Cong I was accustomed to. The leaves are long and twisted, like the "honey" one, but most similarity ends there. Compared to the "honey" leaves' dark, rusty colour, these are more green with streaks of yellow and hints of cranberry.

This lighter one is said to have an "orchid" fragrance. My first impression was that it tastes like what I'd imagine a lotus flower would [but doesn't] taste. It eventually conjured strong memories of the Tiger Lilies that grow on Lower Mill Road, where I grew up. Having since had green tea that was mixed with orchid blossoms, this tea does have a remarkable orchid flavour.

Mr Ahn recommended filling the pot very full, about 50%, with the young leaves and using cooler water than usual, around 70°C. I've had a poor success rate with this tea, on my own. I tend to land either on the bland or harsh side of the complex, floral textures of the tea Mr Ahn severed, confirming that I do indeed still need much practice!

Gong Fu Feng Huang Dan Cong (Phoenix Single Bush), "honey" flavour • 功夫凤凰单枞

❧ Phoenix Oolong, 'Honey' flavour ❧

The first time I tasted Fenghuang Dan Cong, 凤凰单枞, at Kkikdageo (imo, the best tea shop in Korea!), I was amazed by the unique, intense flavour of the tea. Traditionally, Phoenix Oolong is described as having a honey-orchid flavour and is sometimes even called Phoenix Honey Orchid tea, but I also find that it carries the impression of lemon zest bitter over tones.

Kkikdageo's Phoenix Oolong comes from the 600 year old Song Jong, 宋種, trees that were found by a Song dynasty emperor growing on Phoenix Mountain. It is very difficult to find a better Phoenix Dancong. The leaves are between 60-70% fermented and are rolled long and pointy. The colour is very dark brown with reddish tinges. It's preferable to let the leaves age at least six months and are even better after a year or two.

After heating a teapot and dropping a heaping scoop of leaves in, an intense floral aroma comes wafting out from the pot, filling the space with a warm scent, like dried mango, citrus, and honey. I raise the open pot to my nose and take a slow, deep whiff. The overwhelming pleasure immediately stimulates craving, but I put the pot down, return the lid, and let leaves heat a little more, awakening the tea's essential oils.

The way Kkikdageo taught me to prepare Phoenix Dan Cong is with slightly cooler water than usual, about 70-80ºC, 21-27ºF. The temperature affects the balance between scent and taste. Hotter water tends the produce a stronger smell, but a little cooler water develops a deeper taste.

After rinsing the leaves with a quick dousing, I fill the pot once more and let it steep for just a few seconds. From the first steeping, the rich Phoenix leaves produce a strongly flavoured liquor. The colour is clear, bright yellow-brown and the scent is of warm, sharp sweetness, like lemon tart, deep and heavy. A strong, pleasant aftertaste paints the back of the throat as it goes down and the roof of the mouth and gums tingle. There is also a strong acidic sensation on the tongue. The second infusion is a little stronger and less sweet, and the third and fourth are much the same, and by the fifth infusion a slight saltiness appears on the back of the tongue during the aftertaste. The leaves are extremely durable and even after the eighth infusion, there is still strong flavour. But, eventually, the Phoenix takes flight, leaving a faint whiff in the breeze, and the leaves become an empty nest.

Even long after finishing this tea, the taste clings in the mouth, especially on the back of the tongue and in the throat, emerging unexpectedly, but pleasantly, throughout the day.

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Feng Huang Dan Cong • 凤凰单枞

On Phoenix Mountain, One is Many.  

If I had to choose a single favourite tea, which I hope no one ever asks me to do, I just might have to pick Feng Huang Dan Cong. 

Feng Huang, 凤凰, is Chinese for Phoenix, and Dan Cong, 单枞, can be translated as 'single bush'. Simply, dan, 单, is one, and cong, 枞, is many, so, to me, the name Feng Huang Dan Cong, is like a poem, "On Phoenix Mountain, one is many."

The name originates from a combination of Phoenix Mountain, where the tea grows, and the technique of keeping the leaves harvested from each tree separate, rather than blending the leaves, how most other teas are produced.

There are many other ways that one becomes many on Phoenix Mountain, though.The oldest tree of the mountain, about 900 years old, over a couple of centuries, spread across the slopes, covering the mountain with tea trees. The trees that grow on Phoenix Mountain are known for their single trunk that umbrellas out into many branches, and on each branch sprouts several leaves. I haven't been told where the original tree came from, but I like to imagine the seed was dropped there by the old Phoenix of the mountain, but feel free to believe otherwise... ^_^

The mist covered mountains are the perfect place for growing tea. Hot days and cool nights also add to the quality of the leaves, which is why mountain tea is so nice. The rocky terrain of the moutains also add the warmth and richness of the tea. The higher up the mountain, and the older the tree, the better quality the tea leaves are. It's because of the unique flavour of each tree that they are kept separate. The area also has thousands of years of tea history and is a likely place of the origin of Gongfu Cha.

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Since I've yet to visit Phoenix Mountain, the photos I've used come from here: http://www.hojotea.com/article_e/phoenix_e.htm#

If you're interested, it is an excellent, much more in depth article on Phoenix tea.

Wu Dong Mountain, a part of the Phoenix Mountain chain, is where the best trees grow.