Here is my latest post on teaspring's Feng Huang Dan Cong:

I have a love affair with the lychee, on par with my love of haw, and
I have always been horribly disappointed in the many teas flavored
with this fruit. Many times it is artificial, or too strong, or not
even close to the point that it is disgustingly flowery or just flat-
out terrible. I never understand why. The actual flavor of lychee is
so nice and subtle and earthy and just seems like a natural fit for
tea. Feng Huang Dan Cong always has an association with a fruity
flavor; Peach, Longan, Lychee, etc. Some of the lower quality Feng
Huang's I've had were artificially flavored, and some of the better
quality ones never brought out that longan/lychee flavor for me but
were very enjoyable. I threw a 25g packet of Teaspring's offering into
my last order because I'm always willing to try again. I've hit the
jackpot with this one!

The dry leaf and initial scent I got from brewing was very floral,
which had been the case with some previous experiences. The first sip,
however, proved much different. My first reaction was peach, but as I
sipped and explored it, and through subsequent brewings, I can
definitely say it is very close to longan/lychee. There is a bit of
floral TGY flavor in there though in the initial hit, but the finish
and lingering flavor is certainly fruit. A very nice and subtle flavor
that is the perfect balance of flavor, a balance one could never
attain through flavorings or artificial means. Each sip offers a new
flavor or hint and it bounces between a perfectly ripe peach and an
earthy, sweet longan and many areas in between. If I had my way, the
initial floral note would be much less pronounced, but that is just my
personal taste and preference and about the only thing I could knock.

The leaf is very nice and long, in thin tight spirals which unfurl
fully in multiple steepings. The flavor is fairly complex but in a
good way which doesn't overwhelm but instead intrigues and draws you
in to each sip and breath. I'm a happy man with this one, and the
price is very reasonable to ensure a much larger purchase than 25g is
in my near future. I have even earmarked one of my Yixing, that has
been waiting in the wings, for this tea.

- Dominic
http://teasphere.wordpress.com

Hello Dominic,
I have had a little love affair with Dan Congs since I found out that
they existed,By some very nice gifts from very nice persons, (thank
you Tim & Michael)
I think that these teas are fantastic. Being out of the loop for a bit
I havent had any since the beginning of this year. Your description is
awesome. Makes me want to go out and get some right away. Do you know
when is the best time of year to buy these? And how about shelf life?
Are these teas roasted?
I do remember the essence of ripe fruits, and I have thought these
DC's have always been good to me...
I absolutely enjoy these talks of Tea. Thanks for sharing your
experiences and knowledge.
Jenn

Jenn writes:

[...love those Dancongs...]
Are these teas roasted?

Some are, and some aren't. I much prefer the ones that are. I think
unroasted Dancong is a recent innovation, but I could be wrong.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
recently updated: Shi Ru Xiang

I love all dancong once in a while when i get bored with the rest of
the teas. With your notes I think I should compare the teaspring one
with teacuppa. I really love magnolia dancong from teacuppa; also
known as yulan xiang at jts. jts is a bit on the high end *i guess*
due to the price. I have not try that either to actually conclude
anything but just from the price...

On Sep 20, 9:36 am, Jazzy wrote:
I love all dancong once in a while when i get bored with the rest of
the teas. With your notes I think I should compare the teaspring one
with teacuppa. I really love magnolia dancong from teacuppa; also
known as yulan xiang at jts. jts is a bit on the high end *i guess*
due to the price. I have not try that either to actually conclude
anything but just from the price...

Jazzy, or should I call you , you are shilling
for Teacuppa. It's getting annoying. Please advertise for your
shitty website through conventional, ethical means.

Alex

Some are, and some aren't. I much prefer the ones that are. I think
unroasted Dancong is a recent innovation, but I could be wrong.

/Lew

You is right, sir. They are jumping on the Qing Xiang bandwagon like
most mainland Wulong has followed for the past few years. It was
pretty well roasted for years...

You is right, sir. They are jumping on the Qing Xiang bandwagon like most
mainland Wulong has followed for the past few years. It was pretty well
roasted for years...

Midnight, without doubting you or Lew, I've tasted plenty of very lightly roasted Feng Huang Dan Cong, but never a wholey unroasted one. While those light roasts allowed the vanilla-green flavor to peek through, they lacked fruit and spice and, to me, style. They taste green, not surprisingly. More important perhaps, they are unstable. Roasting stabilizes tea, and they new fangle entries are not. So, after much experimentation, I've settled on the high roasties, if you will.
Michael

Midnight, without doubting you or Lew, I've tasted plenty of very lightly roasted Feng Huang Dan Cong, but never a wholey unroasted one. While those light roasts allowed the vanilla-green flavor to peek through, they lacked fruit and spice and, to me, style. They taste green, not surprisingly. More important perhaps, they are unstable. Roasting stabilizes tea, and they new fangle entries are not. So, after much experimentation, I've settled on the high roasties, if you will.


Yes, that is what I mean; Lew speaks for himself always. The lightly
roasted FengHuang is a relatively new creation. All the stuff I had
in the past, I would guess 5 years ago, were pretty full roasts. The
leaves completely dark brown or red and remain that way even after
brewing. Around that time, lightly roasted TieGuanYin began to be a
focus in the market because of it's relative ease in appreciation. I
mean, even to the novice, it's sweet, smells nice, runs down the
throat well; it's the perfect tea for marketing. So, lightly roasted
became the way to go for a while...now it's Pu'er...firstly people
preferred cooked because it's easy to appreciate...now Sheng because
it's supposedly better...

I mean, lets face it, heavily roasted Wulong isn't something that
everyone can get into. There is a huge market down here in Guangdong,
where most people are relatively uneducated about tea and like sweet
foods...you can see where I am going with this.

At least this how the trend has been in China.

Mydnight wrote:
... All the stuff I had in the past, I would guess 5 years ago, were pretty full roasts. The
leaves completely dark brown or red and remain that way even after brewing.

Question please, on a topic concerning which I admit to repetition: the
distinction between fermentation and roasting, and the results and
discernment thereof.

I liked dan cong oolongs from first taste, not too many years ago.
Haven't yet tasted more than 50-60, I'm guessing, but some definite
patterns emerge. To my taste, many are over-roasted and/or smoked (not
the same) to the point of losing most of the light notes. Never yet had
one that seemed seriously under-roasted. (In a few cases, like some
disappointing SRT offerings that were well past use-by date, re-roasting
helped to restore some grace.)

What I *have* tasted is at least two or three dozen dan congs that were
(to my taste) significantly under-oxidized. For this, of course, there
is no easy home remedy. Even on some that were over-roasted to crunchy
dark toast, excessive (to me) astringency and other unpleasant aspects
persisted. Except when roasted to the point of maduro color and nil leaf
opening on steeping, I find that brewed-leaf color is generally
consistent with this perceived under-oxidation - lots of green patches,
vs. the red-to-brown range Mydnight describes.

Others' thoughts or experience with this distinction?

-DM

[Mydnight]
Yes, that is what I mean; Lew speaks for himself always. The lightly
roasted FengHuang is a relatively new creation. All the stuff I had in
the past, I would guess 5 years ago, were pretty full roasts. The leaves
completely dark brown or red and remain that way even after brewing.
Around that time, lightly roasted TieGuanYin began to be a focus in the
market because of it's relative ease in appreciation. I mean, even to the
novice, it's sweet, smells nice, runs down the throat well; it's the
perfect tea for marketing. So, lightly roasted became the way to go for a
while...now it's Pu'er...firstly people preferred cooked because it's easy
to appreciate...now Sheng because it's supposedly better...

[Michael]
Yes, and in the case of the TiGuanYin, it's also a lot faster, easier, and thus cheaper to produce without the intermittant subtle repeated roasting thart brings it up to snuff and stabilizes it. So, of course manufacturers are happy to supply the green type to an eagerly awaiting drinking public. Right?

[Mydnight]
I mean, lets face it, heavily roasted Wulong isn't something that everyone
can get into. There is a huge market down here in Guangdong, where most
people are relatively uneducated about tea and like sweet foods...you can
see where I am going with this.

[Michael]
I'm going to embark on some true gung-fu lessons which deploy the high roast sorts. We've been discussing the "proper" gung-fu teapot size, which we understand to be small, perhaps the size of a walnut, perhaps double that size. Any thoughts?

[Mydnight]
At least this how the trend has been in China.

[Michael]
I guess whatever the traffic will bear, even if they have to "educate" the traffic, if you follow my meaning.

DogMa writes:

Mydnight wrote:
... All the stuff I had in the past, I would guess 5 years ago,
were pretty full roasts. The leaves completely dark brown or red
and remain that way even after brewing.

Question please, on a topic concerning which I admit to repetition:
the distinction between fermentation and roasting, and the results and
discernment thereof.

No need to apologize for this important question, which bothers me too.

I liked dan cong oolongs from first taste, not too many years
ago. Haven't yet tasted more than 50-60, I'm guessing, but some
definite patterns emerge. To my taste, many are over-roasted and/or
smoked (not the same) to the point of losing most of the light
notes. Never yet had one that seemed seriously under-roasted.

Hmm, I think I've had a fair number that were under-roasted. But I
think you never if a tea is under-roasted (I'm assuming it's a tea
you're not satisfied with) until you try roasting a bit of it yourself
and see if that improves it.

(In a few cases, like some disappointing SRT offerings that were
well past use-by date, re-roasting helped to restore some grace.)

And roasting is supposed to make a tea last longer in the first place.

What I *have* tasted is at least two or three dozen dan congs that were
(to my taste) significantly under-oxidized. For this, of course, there
is no easy home remedy. Even on some that were over-roasted to crunchy
dark toast, excessive (to me) astringency and other unpleasant aspects
persisted. Except when roasted to the point of maduro color and nil
leaf opening on steeping, I find that brewed-leaf color is generally
consistent with this perceived under-oxidation - lots of green
patches, vs. the red-to-brown range Mydnight describes.

Well, if the dry leaves are already black and crumbly, there's no
sense in roasting the tea some more. And I do take your point that -
to my taste and yours, at least - the current trend in Dancong
manufacture probably under-oxidizes the tea, too.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

[Michael]
Yes, and in the case of the TiGuanYin, it's also a lot faster, easier, and thus cheaper to produce without the intermittant subtle repeated roasting thart brings it up to snuff and stabilizes it. So, of course manufacturers are happy to supply the green type to an eagerly awaiting drinking public. Right?

Basically. It's quick, it's easy, and it used to sell down here.
Their lightly roasted tea trend is nearly over, I suspect.



[Michael]
I'm going to embark on some true gung-fu lessons which deploy the high roast sorts. We've been discussing the "proper" gung-fu teapot size, which we understand to be small, perhaps the size of a walnut, perhaps double that size. Any thoughts?

There is nothing like tasting a high grade, fully roasted Taiwan
Wulong. The complexity in flavor and scent matches any top grade
lightly roasted Tieguanyin or other Wulong like that. And, unlike
with the light-roasted stuff, the flavor of full roasted can be
improved with time.

About vessel size, "proper" or "standard" is always debatable in
China; I would say there are no standards for anything. I suppose the
smaller the vessel, the fewer people you could serve tea to. I do
have a teapot given to me as a gift by a Taiwanese friend about the
size you describe though. He had them made in YiXing for himself and
to give to friends as gifts. The sand is very fine, not at all rough,
and it brews whatever tea with good results.

For "proper" gung-fu tea, I think it would be up to the quality of the
tea and the pots, not the size of the brewing vessels.

[Mydnight]

Mydnight wrote and michael interspersed...

lightly roasted tea trend is nearly over, I suspect.

Aha! Interesting. Trends come and go all over the world.

[Michael] I'm going to embark on some true gung-fu lessons which deploy
the high roast sorts. We've been discussing the "proper" gung-fu teapot
size, which we understand to be small, perhaps the size of a walnut,
perhaps double that size. Any thoughts?

There is nothing like tasting a high grade, fully roasted Taiwan Wulong.
The complexity in flavor and scent matches any top grade lightly roasted
Tieguanyin or other Wulong like that. And, unlike with the light-roasted
stuff, the flavor of full roasted can be improved with time.

Yes, I've drunk exactly one fully roasted Taiwan Wulong and I loved it, a different animal all together.

About vessel size, "proper" or "standard" is always debatable in China; I
would say there are no standards for anything. I suppose the smaller the
vessel, the fewer people you could serve tea to. I do have a teapot given
to me as a gift by a Taiwanese friend about the size you describe though.
He had them made in YiXing for himself and to give to friends as gifts.
The sand is very fine, not at all rough, and it brews whatever tea with
good results.

Do you have a special way of brewing tea in such a pot?

For "proper" gung-fu tea, I think it would be up to the quality of the tea
and the pots, not the size of the brewing vessels.

We were talking about it in terms of ancient tradition; clearly, the quality of tea, brewing, and pot loom large in determining the quality of guzzling experience.

Michael

Yes, I've drunk exactly one fully roasted Taiwan Wulong and I loved it, a different animal all together.

Nothing like it. I had some competition grade full roast tea once
that would simply silence a panel of light roast drinkers.

About vessel size, "proper" or "standard" is always debatable in China; I
would say there are no standards for anything. I suppose the smaller the
vessel, the fewer people you could serve tea to. I do have a teapot given
to me as a gift by a Taiwanese friend about the size you describe though.
He had them made in YiXing for himself and to give to friends as gifts.
The sand is very fine, not at all rough, and it brews whatever tea with
good results.

Do you have a special way of brewing tea in such a pot?

According to Taiwan style, which as in most things, it's probably
closer to the way it was done here in the past. You add your tea
until the bottom of the vessel is covered and then do a quick wash.
After the wash, add your hot, hot, hot water and brew for about 45-50
seconds; this can be altered depending on how you like your tea.
Sometimes if the tea's "qi" isn't very strong, the first brewing can
be longer than a minute. Whenever my pal comes over, we do the full
shebang with sniffer glasses and all, so I always follow his
directions. He has about 30 years in tea drinking.

If you get some good full roast, pour directly into peoples' cups
instead of using your gongdaobei. If there is too much tea left over,
pour just a little into the gongdaobei and use the rest to season your
other pots. After about 6 or 7 brewings, your gongdaobei will be
quite full of tea; all the brewings mixed together. You can get some
really intense flavors out of that mix. With my competition grade
tea, we could only describe the residual flavor of the mixed-brew as
"gram cracker". Awesome stuff!