Fenghuang Dancong Varieties and the Roasting Process
The roasting process shapes the final character of Fenghuang Dancong. For Wuye, high heat can bring out sharp aromas but also astringency, while Duck Shit Aroma handles roast more gracefully, keeping its sweet water intact. Baxian, especially from high mountain old bushes, benefits from a moderate roast that preserves mountain charm and depth. The same leaf treated differently can taste like two separate teas.
Among the four varieties, low mountain new bush Baxian and Wuye are the most sensitive to roast level. A deep roast may mask thin broth but cannot create depth. Juduozai, often controversial, can turn harsh if roasted too long. This is why experienced tea makers adjust the roasting process based on variety, elevation, and bush age rather than following a single rule.
There are many varieties of Phoenix Dancong tea, among which Baxian, Juduozai, Duck Shit Aroma, and Wuye each have their own characteristics and are often compared by tea enthusiasts. This article examines these four varieties from four dimensions—high mountain, mid-mountain, low mountain old bushes, and low mountain new bushes—to rank their taste performance and analyze their respective aromas, sweetness, depth, and mountain charm. It also explores why Juduozai remains controversial and how Wuye, Duck Shit Aroma, and Baxian differ in flavor due to craftsmanship and origin. Whether you are a beginner just getting into Dancong or a seasoned tea drinker looking to deepen your understanding of varietal characteristics, you will find practical reference here.
For these four teas, assuming the craftsmanship is all up to standard, the ranking in terms of drinking pleasure is roughly as follows:
High mountain old bush: Baxian, Juduozai, Duck Shit Aroma, Wuye. Mid-mountain old bush: Baxian, Duck Shit Aroma, Juduozai, Wuye. Low mountain old bush: Juduozai, Duck Shit Aroma, Baxian, Wuye. Low mountain new bush: Duck Shit Aroma, Juduozai, Wuye, Baxian.
It should be noted that this ranking is based on taste performance, not price. For example, low mountain Juduozai is not necessarily more palatable than low mountain Duck Shit Aroma, but its price is usually higher because labor costs account for a large proportion. Hence the industry saying that "Juduozai doesn't really count as a good tea." Below I'll discuss the characteristics of each of these four teas.
Duck Shit Aroma and Baxian both lean toward the sweet-water type, but Baxian's sweetness is more transparent, its tea broth has more depth, and most importantly, its mountain charm is rich and clear, making it more favored by those who understand tea. However, low mountain Baxian has neither mountain charm nor depth—the broth tends to be thin and the aroma weak—so low mountain Baxian cannot be compared to low mountain Duck Shit Aroma in quality at all.
Wuye and Duck Shit Aroma both belong to the high-aroma category. In fact, Wuye's aroma is even more sharp and uplifting than Duck Shit Aroma's, but Wuye's sweet water is not as good as Duck Shit Aroma's, and it tends to turn astringent after roasting. However, Wuye's depth is extremely strong, especially high mountain Wuye, whose depth is even more pronounced. Precisely because Wuye easily brings out bitterness and astringency, high mountain tea farmers are reluctant to grow it, making high mountain Wuye scarce and low-priced.
Juduozai is a rather controversial tea, with small twisted leaves and high labor costs. Those who like Juduozai are often drawn to its unique nutty aroma, commonly known as "Juduozai flavor." This Juduozai flavor tends to emerge when the tea is processed with a greener style, but a greener style is precisely the biggest taboo in Dancong tea, because it cannot be roasted at high heat and the spent leaves easily develop an off smell. If processed with a more mature style, the Juduozai flavor is not distinct enough, and the broth carries a slightly cloying feel. Nevertheless, its leaves are visually appealing and it often becomes a top choice for gifting.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
