Gardenia Fragrance Dancong

Tea: Gardenia Fragrance Type: Huangzhi Xiang Dancong Oolong (黄枝香单丛乌龙) Style: Classic Dancong Roast: Medium Harvest: Spring 2026 Region: Wudong Village, Phoenix Mountains, Chaozhou Producers: Wen Zitong Tasting Notes: Gardenia, Butter, Angel Food Cake, Berry Compote, Cream When the leaves are placed in a warmed gaiwan, we are greeted with the sweet scent of sugar and toast, reminding us of slightly of walking into a pastery shop. There is something slightly creamy about the aroma with a touch of cinnamon and the namesake gardenia flower fragrance hiding in the background. When infused with water, this buttered toast fragrance gives way to something much fruitier like a berry compote with vegetal edges. The brew is surprisingly sweet on the tongue, causing us to salivate quickly while providing an oily full-mouth sensation that sticks around between infusions. The bright and clear flavors of this tea speak to the ideal spring picking season during which these leaves grew. Rare in recent years are the perfect combination of cool nights, bright sun, and occasional rain that creates such outstanding teas. Around the third infusion, the deep minerality of this tea gives way to a bouquet of gardenias and other sweet floral notes most evinced by the aroma left behind in the empty cup. If left to cool slightly, this tea becomes incredibly oily, coating the tongue and the mouth quite nicely. The cool brewed leaves also begin to exude a perfume-like fragrance of sugar and flowers. Check out our Glossary of Dancong Oolong Terms to understand this info more!