Fujian Province in eastern China is home to a treasure trove of spectacular teas – traditional jasmine tea; Yin Zhen and modern-style leafy white teas; smoky Lapsang Souchong tea; and the historic but little known Panyang Congou (Golden Monkey) family of black tea. Despite this bounty of tea, the most fascinating and notable teas in Fujian Province are its glorious oolongs.  
In our oolongs you will find a diverse collection of leaf styles. All of our oolongs all sourced by us from artisans whose passion for this difficult-to-make tea ensures that when you steep your oolong at home it will taste as great as it does when we sample it.

 

 

Semiball-rolled-style Oolongs

In the Anxi region of southern Fujian the semiball-rolled-style of oolong tea is King. The most famous of these teas is Tieguanyin, which is plucked exclusively from two specific tea bush varieties. Other semiball-rolled-style oolongs from this region are likewise plucked from and named for their specific tea bush varieties. As a group, semiball-rolled-style oolongs are not darkly oxidized as the oolong teas to the north are. Nor are they roasted as much if at all;  hence their colors range from green to greenish-gold. Their flavors are fruity, and crisp, and their aromas are sweet and highly aromatic. Semiball-rolled-style oolong teas are gaining in popularity in the West.
 

Strip-style Oolongs
 
In the north-west part of Fujian, the rocky cliffs of the Wuyi Shan are home to the rare and revered ‘rock oolong’ teas or yan cha, which are made from sub-varieties of Camellia sinensis that are found nowhere else in China. These teas are long, broad, flat and slightly twisted, and are oxidized to a dark, somber color. Traditionally-made Wu Yi Shan teas are given a final drying, or roasting, over a charcoal fire, which delicately imparts an additional, subtle nuance of flavor to the leaves. These delicious teas are the old-sthyle Chinese oolong tea, which are finding a new audience in the West among taste enthusiasts who seek well-defined, mature tastes.
 

Fenghuang Dan Cong (Phoenix Mountain single-trunk or single fragrance tea) tea is produced in northern Guangdong Province, not too far from the place in southern Fujian Province where the famous semiball-rolled-style oolong teas ( such as Tieguanyin ) are made.

Fenghuang Dan Congs are  dark, medium to heavy roast strip-style oolongs. They are easily recognized by their extraordinary flavor and distinctive leaf style. In this region, unique  varieties of Camellia sinensis tea bushes have been growing for centuries in the high reaches of the Phoenix Mountains. The oldest tea bushes are living treasures. Many of them are hundreds of years old and have grown into stately trees that feature a bush-like habit.  These trees yield fresh leaf of an extraordinary  size, and the resulting teas are extremely flavorful and seductively aromatic. The best Fenghuang Dan Cong oolongs exhibit a palate-teasing abundance of mineral, floral, and ripe-stone fruit flavors in the cup. These teas are charcoal-fired, and, like a fine burgundy wine, require patience and diligent steeping to coax the best flavor from the leaf.

Mary Lou’s photograph captures a late spring morning on Phoenix Mountain perfectly: the soft blanket of clouds-and-mist lifts to reveal a perfectly-formed Frenghuang Dan Cong bush waiting to be plucked.