Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix dancong oolong, 40 g

Telosma cordata – flowers of Chinese violet, aka ye-lai-xiang, send out their fragrance more prominently upon nightfall, hence the Chinese name, which translates to Aura of the Night. Their aroma is akin to that of this tea. The flower buds are edible, and a seasonal cooking ingredient in the Guangdong area and neighbouring regions. Taste Profile Nose: Refreshing blooms of fresh flowers with an undertone of nectar and hints of mints. Accents of magnolia alba and Chinese liquorice. Palate: Clear, gold colour liquor. Smooth, yet vibrant body that is florally sweet with accents of mint and chrysanthemum. Hints of honey and sugar cane, with touches of almond. Quenching and cooling sensations. Finish: Aftertaste comes slowly with touches of almond, Chinese liquorice and mint. Floral after-aroma. Infusion Tip Like any other Phoenix Dancong, Aura of the Night has to be treated with respect. A poorly executed infusion may distort the full spectrum of this rare selection. Under brewed, some of the floral wonders maybe revealed but missing some of the full taste profile. Over brewed, the tea is simply destroyed. When in doubt, always use a weight scale, a thermometer and know the capacity of the infusion vessel. To begin understanding this tea, start with a smaller infusion vessel, between 100 to 300 ml. For novices or those who prefer lighter taste, use 1.5 g to 100 ml of water at 95°C, brew for 5 minutes and always drain the liquor when time is up. Otherwise use 2 g to 100 ml as in the international tasting standard. Once you have acquired the profile, you can then have a baseline to interpret the tea in other infusion conditions. As always with a great floral Fenghuang Dancong, using the gaiwan, a lot of leaves in shorter infusion time gives wonderful experiences. Origin of this selection The mother tree of this Yelai Xiang cultivar originates in Shi Tou ( Lion Head ), which is a mount next to Wudong. While Wudong has been known as the mecca of Phoenix oolongs, Fenghuang dancongs from Shi Tou has been known to diehard aficionados for their prominent and unique taste profiles. Two of the most sought after teas from this area are Huangzhi Xiang and this one, Yelai Xiang. We are happy to be able to offer this top quality first flush from the origin. Medium baked for maturity Although rumour has it that bouquet style oolongs do not store well. Indeed some don’t. They have to be cold stored. Some do. Some actually mature to become better. This one is rested for almost 9 months before release. We do so for teas that we have baked deeper to extend the tea’s taste profile. For bouquet style teas it is a highly skilled art that hopefully will be revived for more people to enjoy.