Dan Tsun Hong Cha Tien Di Hong "AAA", 2025 (Red Tea of Heaven and Earth)
Origin
Where the mountain peaks of Guangdong touch the sky, where lonely tea bushes stretch from the earth to the sun, through winds and snow, in harsh conditions the leaves are born, fragrant in the bowl like the most heat-loving and well-groomed flower garden. Tea from Mount Phoenix is a special tea. Oolongs from these lands are capricious, like green teas, and require skill in preparation, but reward in tea drinking with an incomparable aroma and taste: as if the most seductive perfume became a delicious drink.
Processing
But to what extent does the final taste of tea depend on processing? Dan Cong of Heaven and Earth provides the answer: the dizzyingly aromatic tea leaf of an ancient variety, from a single bush, not mixed with any others, retains its qualities even when processed in the style of red tea. Unlike oolong, red dan cong is harder to spoil: it is almost not afraid of hot water. Ideally - 85-90 degrees. Of course, the aroma is slightly lower than oolong: strong heating steals the most subtle notes from the tea. But what remains is enough to get a unique experience from this red.
Aromatics
Where else can you find tea that looks like ordinary red tea – thin and long, bluish-black matte leaf – but with the aroma of hazelnuts, barberries, oranges and tea roses? In the background, you can guess something about unsweetened pastries, like biscuits: a sign of the leaf being roasted. But overall – like unsweetened Turkish delight. The thick and rich aroma envelops, evoking the anticipation of tea drinking with oriental sweets in the middle of a luxurious flower garden. The weightless canopy trembles in a light breeze, letting the aromas of roses and orange blossoms warmed by the sun into the gazebo.
Brewing
5 grams of leaf per 100 ml porcelain gaiwan – and the oriental mood becomes even more distinct. The orange-greenish infusion smells of caramel, blackberry, roses, vanilla and cardamom. The taste is as if it is not tea at all, but an infusion of fresh berries and fruits: apple, quince, raspberry, blueberry, pomegranate seeds. Notes of lilac and oriental sweet spices. Elusive-light woody-almond bitterness. Instead of the usual bowl, you just want to pour tea into an armuda glass with a “waist” and treat yourself to Turkish sweets.
Aftertaste and condition
The tea has a light and fresh aftertaste, reminiscent of grapefruit. The effect is bright and comes after the first cup: vigor, distinct tone. Mobilizes the body, clarifies and sharpens thoughts. The tea is barely similar to reds, but it is not oolong either. A very successful combination of two characters in one. Tea-luxury, a mental journey to a rose garden, to tea drinking with sweets and a sense of inner and outer beauty.
