China — tea

Guangdong

Guangdong's Phoenix Mountain (Fenghuangshan) produces Dan Cong oolong — named for the practice of harvesting individual cultivar trees separately (dan = single, cong = bush/group). Each named Dan Cong variety carries a distinct aromatic profile: Mi Lan Xiang smells of honey and orchid, Ya Shi Xiang (Duck Excrement) of stone fruit and mineral, Ba Xian of longan and spice. The Chaozhou gongfu cha tradition — serving these complex oolongs in tiny cups with very hot water — is the epicentre of southern Chinese tea ceremony culture.

Year Rating Notes
2023 85 Very good conditions; high-quality Dan Cong across Phoenix Mountain.
2022 90 Outstanding Phoenix Mountain oolong season; finest decade.
2021 82 Very good Dan Cong conditions; aged oolong from 2021 developing complex complexity.
2020 86 Excellent Phoenix Mountain conditions; outstanding oolongs with complex floral-honey-stone fruit layering.
2019 79 Good Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong season; characteristic honey orchid and duck shit aroma cultivars at classic quality.