I'm exploring Dan Chong oolong (a.k.a. Lone Bush oolong) nowadays. Does anybody know how many types of Dan Chong are there? I've read at least of three types: Song Chong (?), Feng Huang (Phoenix), and Kwai Hua Shang (Osmanthus).
What are the differences, and how do you determine superiority and rarity?
Any advise would be appreciated.
~Phyll
I am not a real expert on Danchong, but from what I can gather, how a tea seller calls their Danchong is almost entirely up to them. The names generally just denote different grades. This is, I think, more or less the same type of problem as with tieguanyin -- there are lots of names for it, but at the end of the day, taste is what matters.
Songzhong Danchong is generally the best. Prices can be way high. Feng Huang is usually a grade or two down, but there is, I think, no real system to how that's named. I've also seen lots of names for lots of different Danchong at some tea sellers. More often than not, they are named for what kind of taste they resemble. They taste similar, for the most part, but Songzhong is certainly better.
With something like Guihuaxiang (Osmanthus) though, they might have actually added flower to the tea, so what you're tasting may not be the actual tea itself. So, buyer beware there.
Songzhong Danchong is generally the best. Prices can be way high. Feng Huang is usually a grade or two down, but there is, I think, no real system to how that's named. I've also seen lots of names for lots of different Danchong at some tea sellers. More often than not, they are named for what kind of taste they resemble. They taste similar, for the most part, but Songzhong is certainly better.
With something like Guihuaxiang (Osmanthus) though, they might have actually added flower to the tea, so what you're tasting may not be the actual tea itself. So, buyer beware there.
Thanks, MarshalN. I bought some Danchong in Guangzhou but it's not the Song Chong. They let me taste the Song Chong side by side with this one (not sure which kind specifically), and while I thought the Song Chong was really really good, I opted for the other one at the same price as the Song Chong.
This is a really interesting oolong variety. It's not bitter, but rather it's peachy, fruity and floral. Very long lasting aftertaste ("huigan").
I think you posted that you are currently in Beijing? How is the situation with tea stores there? Are they at almost every corner like in Guangzhou (also like Starbucks in Seattle)?
This is a really interesting oolong variety. It's not bitter, but rather it's peachy, fruity and floral. Very long lasting aftertaste ("huigan").
I think you posted that you are currently in Beijing? How is the situation with tea stores there? Are they at almost every corner like in Guangzhou (also like Starbucks in Seattle)?
You can read more about Beijing from my blog (link in my signature) but in sum, there are tonnes of teashops, especially in the Maliandao Hutong. If you know what you're looking for, you can get some pretty good stuff there. One thing you can't get though is aged puerh (raw). They only have new stuff (oldest is about 10 years) or cooked puerh.
That's the only thing that Hong Kong has that Beijing doesn't seem to offer. Everything else, they do. Although I'm not sure about the availability of things like Danchong or Wuyi oolong. I didn't look for those this trip.
That's the only thing that Hong Kong has that Beijing doesn't seem to offer. Everything else, they do. Although I'm not sure about the availability of things like Danchong or Wuyi oolong. I didn't look for those this trip.