Feng Huang Dan Cong (鳳凰單樅)

archetype: Phoenix

Many fragrances in a single leaf — a regal flame fallen into the cup.

History

'The phoenix of a single mountain' — an oolong from the Phoenix Mountains (Fenghuang Shan) in southern Guangdong. The old bushes (some more than 600 years old) grow apart from one another, and each individual bush yields its own variety with its own name ('mi lan xiang' — honey and orchid; 'ya shi xiang' — duck droppings; 'xing ren xiang' — almond, and so on, more than ten canonical fragrances). The leaf is heavily oxidised (50–70 %), rolled into long thin strands and roasted — all so as to bring out the 'polyphony' of the essential oils of a single bush.

Tradition has it that an emperor of the Song dynasty, fleeing his conquerors through the Fenghuang Mountains, was dying of thirst. A local elder brought him a cup of tea that revived him. The emperor left his name with the bush and ordered it kept. That bush became the 'song zhong', the 'royal mother' of the cultivar. The phrase 'dan cong' — 'one bush' — means just this: each tree keeps its own memory and its own voice.

Terroir

600–1500 m, with the most prized gardens above 1000 m. weathered granite, quartz, a thin layer of fertile organic matter. dense mists from the sea, warm humid climate with a wide day-night temperature swing. 'Lao cong' — old bushes more than 100 years old — are considered the standard. Each bush has its own name and character; mixing the harvest of different trees into one batch is forbidden, as it destroys the very idea of 'dan cong'.

Leaf

dry leaf: long black-brown twisted strands with golden edges; in the hand they smell at once of ripe citrus, orchid and warm wood

warmed: the warmed leaf opens in layers: citrus on top, flower in the middle, warm roast below

after pour: after the infusion — each pour a different one: the first citrus, the second floral, the third honeyed, the fourth fruity — every note in a single leaf

taste: orchid, mandarin, grapefruit, ginger — each infusion its own; deeper down — honey, tropical fruit, dark caramel

finish: long, polyphonic, leaving several aromas in the throat at once; the aftertaste can 'change colour' as the cup cools

Properties

TCM: warm, moves qi, opens chest and throat, supports the lungs; warms gently without drying out

Modern: rich in volatile essential oils (terpenes, linalool) and catechins; gives clear soft stimulation, good for breathing and the sense of smell

Cha qi: light, rising into the head and the upper chest; felt as 'opening several windows at once'

Caffeine: medium (40–55 mg)

Brewing ritual

a Chaoshan-style gaiwan, 100 ml — for short fast pours; 100 °C, soft; 7 g / 100 ml. 5s — the first feather: a citrus altitude, pollen; 4s — the second: orchid, mandarin peel; 5s — the third: grapefruit, ginger, cool nectar; 7s — the fourth: honeyed depth, tropical fruit; 12s — the fifth: dark orchid, roast; 20s — a long trail — every fragrance one by one; 35s — ash of the feathers — the final dryness.

When to drink

day and early evening — when you want attention, not exhaustion. autumn and late spring — when the air is thin and the nose can feel. when you want subtlety and adventure; for comparative tasting; for an experienced guest. dark chocolate with citrus, marmalade, ginger pastry, ripe plums, light cheese with herbs. good for conversations about taste, literature, music — wherever subtlety of perception matters

Tea meditation

Each infusion is a separate bird.
Don't try to know everything at once. Listen for one fragrance per sip.
The phoenix never repeats itself.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Feng Huang Dan Cong?

What does Feng Huang Dan Cong taste like?

orchid, mandarin, grapefruit, ginger — each infusion its own; deeper down — honey, tropical fruit, dark caramel

How much caffeine is in Feng Huang Dan Cong?

medium (40–55 mg)

What are the effects of Feng Huang Dan Cong?

rich in volatile essential oils (terpenes, linalool) and catechins; gives clear soft stimulation, good for breathing and the sense of smell