Dan Cong - is it really that naturally floral...?

[BioHorn]

Uh completely disagree on that. I taste similiar flavors in green tea, and Taiwanese oolong, how much oxidation plays an important part. Wuyi don't have a distinct mineral flavour, though if you believe Hojo, certain Taiwanese high altitude, certain old bush Dan Cong Phoenix Mtn, certain high mtn Wuyi, all have higher mineral content.

Wu Yi has a distinct mineral flavour, if you drink any kind of real yancha, you can notice this flavour. And believe Hojo, he has a university diploma in food science, and everybody knows that highmountain tea is better, old bush is better.
P.S. Even the wu yi cultivars planted elsewhere have a certain rock mineral mouthfeel and rock taste, ever Bai Ji Guan.
About brewing Dancongs, well this year I tried 4 of Imen`s private stash oolongs, and I also have a CZ teapot from her, and I tried Dancongs in a ll my teaware, and I really prefer to brew it in a gaiwan, Chao Zhou clay steals aroma somehow, it is smooth but so less aromatic, and I need the heavy parfume of a Dancong.

I will start trying to brew the Phoenix DC in a small gaiwan. I liked the thief poop tea (not so fruty/floral/perfumed as others). A very solid tea.

[wh&yel-apprentice]

I think the better question is what teas are *not* really that naturally floral. I have yet to read a description of *any* type of tea that didn't include some mention of some type of "floral" quality...maybe, except aged Pu? (then again I haven't checked on that, wouldn't surprise if there were reviews of being floral there also).

The whole notion of Phoenix DC's being 'naturally' floral, or known for the floral/orchid is a bit of marketing "hype"...so many teas described as being strongly floral, green, white, yellow, black, oolong from anywhere...you name it.

I was surprised however, when Imen brewed up the Mandarin orange tasting DC, as that one truly had a subtle fragrance and taste as though there was mandarin rind/oils extracted and infused into the tea.

But fruitiness and floral qualities are a product of teas having similar or same *combinations* of polyphenols found in fruits and flowers.

[Herb_Master]

But fruitiness and floral qualities are a product of teas having similar or same *combinations* of polyphenols found in fruits and flowers.

But perhaps there is a great deal of variation in the way that Oolongs can be manufactured and in some cases these "polyphenols" will be suppressed and in some cases they will be allowed to play the Lead Role.

As the bushes/trees themselves are often named after the Xiang/Fragrance they are reputed to echo, Maybe the most skilled teamasters are those who can coax the most out of the association.

Perhaps, also, the older the tree the more likely it is to highlight the desired fragrance.