Tea: Pomelo Flower Fragrance
Type: Youhuaxiang Dancong Oolong (柚花香单丛乌龙）
Style: Classic Dancong
Harvest: Spring 2024
Roast: Nongxiang (Classic Heavy)
Region: Zhuliu Village, Phoenix Mountains, Chaozhou
Producer: Master Wei
Tasting Notes: Buttered Popcorn, Toasted Oats, Caramel, Bubble Gum
We first started carrying this tea last year from Master Wei, and while it started off very roasted, after a few months rest the tea became very creamy, oily, and sweet as buttered berries. Comparing the small remnants of the 2023 with the new 2024 stock, the age has turned these into two entirely different teas, with the 2023 being impossibly sweet. This is a great tea to stock up on and hold onto for understanding how a heavy roasted oolong mellows out through rest and time. No special storage conditions were taken into consideration, simply leaving the tea in a zipped bag was sufficient to allow it to age!
Master Wei has a higher elevation garden on the slopes of Wudong Mountain in the village of Zhuliu. His trees are old, tall, and well cared for with roots that reach deep into the clay of the cliffs. The Pomelo Flower Fragrance stole our hearts last year for its full bodied thickness in the mouth, and the way it provides a sweet creamy texture.
The dry leaves give off a sweet aroma of melted butter and caramel with a bit of toasted grains beneath it. Once infused, the leaves show their vegetal side with a wonderful sweetgrass and jasmine fragrance. After the rinse, the sharp citrus pomelo peel begins to glow up through the wet leaves.
The brew itself is pale gold in color, refreshing on the tongue, and noticeably sweet. If let to cool for a little while, this tea becomes very oily, coating the tongue and mouth very nicely. The citrus flower notes come out more and more as the infusions progress, eventually subsiding to sweet vegetation. The empty cup aroma is consistently redolent of melted butter mixed with sugar with a distinct note of fresh flowers.
Check out our Glossary of Dancong Oolong Terms to understand this info more!
