How does coffee roaster types relate to Phoenix Dancong?

Phoenix Dancong naming began with mountain plot and general tea tree category, then narrowed to specific tree types and precise locations, and some names come straight from the flavor of the finished tea. The article sorts out Wudong Mountain varietal background and flavor differences from natural hybridization, and covers how early spring, late spring, summer and autumn picking change the liquor, especially astringency and bitterness.

Hojo Tea's long-form reference material is cited on Dancong types, regions, production and brewing, noting that many tea lovers regard Wudong Mountain leaf as the top quality and that most belongs to the Shui Xian variety, which differs from Wuyi Shui Xian despite historical links. Coffee roaster types are not the subject here; this piece stays on tea.

The naming of Phoenix Dancong is not set in stone. In the early days, it was mostly based on the place of origin and the general category of the tea tree, and later it gradually became more refined down to the specific tree type and more precise geographical location. Some names even come directly from the unique flavor the finished tea presents. This article starts from the logic of naming, sorts out the varietal background of Wudong Mountain Dancong and the flavor differentiation brought about by natural hybridization, and discusses the effects of early spring, late spring, summer, and autumn picking on the taste of the tea liquor, especially the difference between astringency and bitterness. The article also cites Hojo Tea's long-form reference material, covering a wide range of content including Dancong types, regions, production, and brewing. If you have ever tried authentic Phoenix Dancong, that distinct fruity flavor and slightly idiosyncratic astringency may be exactly what makes it so fascinating. Front Street Coffee also continues to pay attention to this category in its related recommendations.

At first, the naming of Phoenix Dancong did not seem systematic enough, and often only referenced the location of the mountain plot and the general variety of the tea tree. But later naming conventions changed noticeably. Some names come from specific tea tree types and more detailed place-of-origin information, while others require more details to be determined. Research on this tea should still be able to uncover more.

That long reference article from Hojo Tea covers a very broad range, discussing general types and typical characteristics, as well as the differences between high-quality versions, production areas, varieties, production techniques, and brewing methods. In fact, you can completely skip the rest and just read this one. I will cite a few key points here, and then continue the discussion by combining other reference materials.

Regarding Dancong types: many tea lovers believe that the Dancong produced in Wudong Mountain is the best in quality, and point out that most of them belong to the Shui Xian variety. The Shui Xian tea tree variety is very common in the Wuyi tea region, but the two are not the same, although there were certain historical connections. When discussing these types, they mentioned many specific and varied plant lines:

After hundreds of years of cultivation, Phoenix tea trees have undergone long-term natural hybridization or mutation. This biological-level change has diversified the flavors of individual tea trees. Even if the processing method or technique is completely the same, fresh leaves picked from different tea trees will still produce different tastes. The names of various Phoenix Dancong oolong teas are precisely based on the taste of the tea produced by the original tree.

If you drink real Phoenix Dancong oolong, I believe you will be amazed by its fruity flavor.

I was also surprised at the time. That tea really brought a unique experience. Its astringency is also somewhat unusual, because here is a comment:

...If it is early spring tea picking, it should not be bitter. Generally speaking, tea leaves picked in late spring, summer, and autumn taste bitter and astringent, and leave a very uncomfortable feeling on the tongue.

I would not describe this astringency as bitter, nor would I say it is uncomfortable on the tongue, but it is indeed slightly different from almost all other oolong teas, which are usually very smooth. A netizen commented that he even actively pursues this side of the tea, not only accepting it as a companion to the floral fragrance and fruity sweetness, but also regarding it as a positive virtue. I will have to keep drinking to judge.

This article also echoes a completely independent but related discussion on the aging of Wuyi Mountain tea, in which it is claimed that under certain circumstances aging can have a positive effect on tea (though I do not intend to expand on that, as there is a lot of other content to cover). The section on tea processing also says too much, but it is absolutely worth reading.

I found a secondary blog resource with a lot of details about this tea category, but there is really too much to put here, so I will only cite this reference. Simply put, it digs deeper, and interestingly, it narrows the range of tea characteristics from production area, tea tree type, and estate/grower down to different teas from a specific tea tree:

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.