Xing Ren Xiang Dancong

This is from a 2020 sample getting long in the tooth, but unopened until now. It appears to have held up well, even under my sloppy western-style office steeping. Nice, springy peach and nutmeg flavor notes.

Very nice Dancong and the last of the three samples I got from Verdant! I would say probably not worth the $0.50/g price tag for me, but if it were closer to half that, I might get more. It is certainly high quality and complex, and I love how similar the dry leaf smells to cardamom!

Mouthfeel is full and toasty in the initial steepings. This would make a perfect tea for a cool fall day :). Glad I got to try this wonderful tea.

Lasted probably 8 infusions or so. Was expecting a bit more sweetness/fruitiness to develop on the back end of these infusions, but didn’t get much tbh.

Harvest: Spring 2022

Dry leaf: Cardamom
Wet leaf: Flower of a fruiting plant
Flavor: Sweet, astringent, almond, toast, creamy, melon

Finished up a sample size from my last Verdant order. Remarkable milky notes in the first steeping. The almond flavor was robust and pleasant. Subsequent steeps gave way to minerality and plum notes.

Temp 208 Degrees, Gongfu, 10 second + 5 second infusions

The leaves on this smelled like a cross between Duck Shit Oolong and Royal Peach Orchid with some almonds. I enjoyed this tea very much, definitely tasted an almond note in there. The Orchid note on this is outstanding, very strong. Even the empty cup was drenched in orchid notes. Got about 6 good infusions out of this one. I would highly recommend for a light refreshing oolong. Very good.

Season : Spring 2018
Cultivar: Wudong Shan
Origin: Guangdong, China
Picking: Unknown
Elevation: 600 Meters

Eyes – Dry Leaf: Dark Brown and black leaves. Relatively small for an oolong
Nose- Dry Leaf: Peach, Almond, Plum, Sour Candy, Orchid
Nose- Wet Leaf: Duck Shit Oolong, Almonds, Strong Orchid, Very floral, like a Duck Shit mixed with Royal Peach Orchid and some almonds on top. Yummy!
Eyes-Liquor: Milky Yellow with brown tint
Mouth-Texture: Syrupy
Mouth-Taste: Almonds, Peach, Orchid, Extremely floral in a good way
Nose-Empty Cup: Orchid, Sugar
Mouth-Finish: Smooth, lightly astringent
Eyes – Wet Leaf: Olive green, Reddish medium sized leaves
Body Sensation: Feel Good energy, mildly excited

This was a really nice dan cong. Smooth, syrupy, and with interesting flavor characteristics that evolved throughout the steeps.

The dry leaf had potent aromas of plums, wildflower honey, and rocks. Following a rinse, these turned into camphor, eucalyptus, and toasted nuts. The tea started off roasty with a touch of honey. The roast soon faded and gave way to a maple like syrupy flavor and hint of cinnamon. More spice came in later, specifically nutmeg and cardamom. The body thickened and there was an orchid note in the finish and later on hints of eucalyptus/mint. Towards the end, the mouthfeel became quite drying though the tea itself remained nice and smooth.

Dan congs can be challenging to brew but this one was unfussy and extremely forgiving to brew times and temperatures. I enjoyed its balanced taste and mellow sweetness. My sample was nearly 2 years old so I can only imagine how good it must have been at its peak.