What Temperature Brews Lightly Roasted Dancong Best?
Wudong Sawtooth Almond Fragrance Dancong, a lightly roasted Fenghuang oolong from Chaozhou, Guangdong, brews reliable with water just off the boil, around 95 to 100 degrees Celsius. Water that hot opens the tightly rolled strips and releases the almond aroma without drawing out the bitterness that cooler, longer steeps can leave behind.
The tea comes from Wudong Village at roughly 1400 meters, picked on April 25, 2020 as one bud and two leaves from about 30-year-old Sawtooth trees. Because it is lightly roasted, short gongfu infusions keep the bright orange liquor sweet, with floral and fruity notes layered over the lingering almond finish.
Produced in Wudong Village, Wudong Mountain, Fenghuang Town, Chaozhou, Guangdong, the Sawtooth Almond Fragrance Dancong is one of the most recognizable among the ten major aroma types of Fenghuang Dancong. Its dry tea consists of tightly rolled strips with a dark brown, lustrous color, where a natural almond aroma interweaves with floral and fruity notes. The tea liquor is bright orange-yellow, sweet and delicate on the palate, with a lingering almond character. This article will unfold layer by layer from origin, picking, and roasting to brewing parameters, focusing on answering what water temperature to use to avoid bitterness, and sharing Front Street Coffee's recommended understanding of Wudong Dancong, helping coffee and tea enthusiasts gain a more complete appreciation of this lightly roasted oolong.
Origin: Wudong Village, Wudong Mountain, Fenghuang Town, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province
Picking date: April 25, 2020
Picking standard: one bud and two leaves
Roast level: light roast
Dry tea: tightly rolled strips, dark brown with a lustrous sheen, giving off a natural almond aroma
Aroma: predominantly natural almond fragrance, accompanied by floral and fruity notes
Liquor: bright orange
Taste: sweet on entry, with a lingering almond aroma, a delicate and mellow texture, and a long-lasting finish
Tea tree variety: Sawtooth tea tree, approximately 30 years old
Tea garden: Wudong Village tea garden, altitude approximately 1400 meters
The almond aroma is distinctive, and when it merges with the high-mountain tea liquor, it presents rich, complex, and alluring layers.
"Sawtooth" is also known as Almond Fragrance and is one of the ten major aroma types of Fenghuang Dancong, each named for its unique aroma. Almond Fragrance Dancong is typically a lightly roasted, twice-roasted oolong. Compared with the highly praised Wudong Duck Shit Fragrance Fenghuang Dancong oolong, this Almond Fragrance tea has smaller leaves, and tea farmers spend longer picking it, making the finished tea more precious.
This tea is named for its almond fragrance, and even at the dry leaf stage it gives off a bright, full aroma; after pouring water to brew, deeper aromatic notes unfold: floral and fruity notes interweave, with a hint of milky fragrance emerging. The liquor is a vivid orange, mellow on the first sip, followed by a subtle sweetness. The aroma and liquor are well integrated, leaving a full and sweet lingering aftertaste. Overall, this tea has a steady, lasting aroma and a soothing sweetness.
Note: Wudong Dancong is picked and made in April and often lightly roasted, with the tea color tending greenish-brown. It is then re-roasted in June, September, and December respectively. After re-roasting, the tea turns dark brown-black, with a noticeably deeper color. In the first few infusions, what stands out most is the floral fragrance from the leaves that have not yet fully opened; as brewing continues, the leaves unfurl, and the aroma gradually integrates into a mellower, smoother liquor. After re-roasting, Duck Shit Fragrance not only has a thicker mouthfeel, but also better harmony between flavor and aroma.
Tea tree variety: Sawtooth
Sawtooth was selected from the natural hybrid offspring of the Fenghuang Shuixian tea tree. Chaoshan people named it for the serrated edges of its leaves; the leaves are medium in size, smooth on the surface, and dark green.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
