Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Oolong
Honey, orchid and ripe stone fruit from Guangdong's Phoenix Mountain, a tea that perfumes the room before it reaches the cup.
Mi Lan Xiang, "honey orchid fragrance," is one of the signature aromas of Phoenix Mountain dancong: a semi-oxidized oolong that smells of orchid and honey and leaves a long, sweet finish.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 44 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 18.3 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Gaiwan or small clay pot (gongfu) |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:14 |
| Leaf & water per infusion | 7g → 100g |
| Grind size | Whole twisted leaf |
| Water temperature | 203°F / 95°C |
| Target brew time | 5-8 seconds for the first two infusions, then add 3-5 seconds each round |
| Serving used for caffeine | 8 oz cup (240ml) — see the mug or teapot version below |
What you need
- 7 g loose-leaf oolong
- 100 g filtered water at 95°C
Required gear
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Warm the gaiwan or pot with hot water and discard it. Add 7 g of leaf and smell the warmed leaf before brewing.
- 0:20Rinse: cover with water at 95°C and pour off immediately. This wakes the leaf; do not drink it.
- 0:40First infusion — pour off after 6 seconds, decanting completely.
- 1:11Second infusion, 7 seconds.
- 1:43Third infusion, 11 seconds. From here add about 4 seconds each round.
- 2:19Keep going until the liquor pales — good leaf gives ten or more infusions.
Brewing it in a mug or teapot
The gongfu method above packs a lot of leaf into a small vessel. This version is for a 240 ml cup — the serving the caffeine figure describes.
- Leaf
- 3 g
- Water
- 240 ml
- Temperature
- 194°F / 90°C
- Steep
- about 2½ minutes
- 0:00Warm the mug or teapot with hot water and pour it away, so the brewing water does not lose heat to cold ceramic.
- 0:15Add 3 g of leaf.
- 0:30Pour 240 g of water at 90°C over the leaf, cover, and start the timer.
- 3:00Lift the leaf out or pour the tea off the leaf completely. Leaf left in the cup keeps extracting and turns the last mouthful bitter.
Dancong turns bitter quickly in a large vessel, so taste at two minutes. The same leaf gives two or three more infusions, each about 30 seconds longer.
What it may be good for
A slow way to taste
Gongfu brewing turns a cup of tea into a short session: rinse, smell the warm leaf, then a run of tiny, quick infusions. Each one tastes a little different from the last, which makes it an easy excuse to slow down.
Moderate caffeine
A 240 ml mug carries roughly 44 mg of caffeine, less than half of a typical cup of brewed coffee. The amount rises with more leaf and longer steeping.
What to watch out for
- Dancong contains caffeine. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much is right for you.
- If you take prescription medication, ask your pharmacist whether tea is a good fit.
Mi Lan Xiang, "honey orchid fragrance," is one of the signature aromas of Phoenix Mountain dancong: a semi-oxidized oolong that smells of orchid and honey and leaves a long, sweet finish. It is brewed the Chaozhou way, with a lot of leaf, very hot water, and pours counted in seconds.
Origin & Story
Phoenix Mountain rises above Chaozhou in eastern Guangdong, and the name of its tea explains the whole idea: dancong means single bush. Traditionally the leaves of each tree were picked and processed on their own, so every bush carried its own fragrance. Mi Lan Xiang, honey orchid fragrance, is one of those named aromas.
Locals tell a story about Zhao Bing, the last emperor of the Song dynasty, who fled through these hills in 1279 and was revived by a bitter tea brewed from leaves picked on the mountain. Whether or not it happened, the oldest trees are still called Song zhong, the Song-dynasty type, and a few on Wudong Mountain, in the same range, are said to be hundreds of years old.
The leaf is withered, shaken to bruise its edges and begin oxidation, fired to stop it, and roasted. The result is an oolong that sits between green and black tea, with a perfume far bigger than the small twisted leaves suggest.
In Chaozhou the tea is made in a small clay pot filled about four-fifths with leaf. The water is very hot, and the first pours last only a few seconds. There is usually no pitcher: the host sweeps the pot across a row of tiny cups so that each one gets the same strength. The room smells of orchid before you have taken a sip, and the honey shows up afterwards, in the finish.
If you would rather brew it in a mug, use less leaf and slightly cooler water; the Recipe tab has both versions. A 240 ml cup made with about 3 g of leaf carries roughly 44 mg of caffeine, less than half of what is in a cup of brewed coffee.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 84/100 |
| Acidity | 28/100 |
| Bitterness | 24/100 |
| Body | 62/100 |
| Aroma | 100/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Oolong?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 44 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Oolong?
Target 95°C (203°F).
How long should Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Oolong be extracted?
Timing: 5-8 seconds for the first two infusions, then add 3-5 seconds each round. Method: Gaiwan or small clay pot (gongfu). Ratio: 7g leaf to 100ml water in a gaiwan (gongfu). Grind or leaf format: Whole twisted leaf.
Why does my Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Oolong taste bitter?
In gongfu, bitterness comes from pours that run too long or from too little leaf for the vessel. Keep the early infusions short, pour the tea off the leaf completely every time, and fill the gaiwan or pot generously; an under-filled vessel tastes thin and tannic rather than gentle.
What does dancong mean?
Dancong means single bush. Traditionally the leaves from each tree were picked and processed separately, so every bush had its own aroma. Mi Lan Xiang, honey orchid fragrance, is one of the named aromas grown on Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong.
Why is dancong brewed with so much leaf and such short infusions?
It is the Chaozhou tradition: fill most of a small pot with leaf, use very hot water, and keep the first infusions to a few seconds. The generous dose gives a concentrated, aromatic cup without tipping into bitterness, and it lets one batch of leaf last ten or more infusions. With too little leaf the tea tastes thin and tannic.
Who should avoid Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Oolong?
Dancong contains caffeine. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much is right for you. If you take prescription medication, ask your pharmacist whether tea is a good fit. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Plain Porcelain Gaiwan, 110 ml
In this recipe: Gaiwan or small clay pot, 100–150 ml
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