BA XIAN DAN CONG OOLONG MR.LUO
-Eight immortals oolong-

Fujian, China
Spring harvest 2024
Altitude 800 m
Tea Master Mr. Luo

This tea is part of those we found during our trip to China in the fall of 2024. We explored the south of Fujian, a region where some of the best teas can be found: Tie Kuan Yin, Pai Mu Tan, all the rock teas (Shui Xian, Da Hong Pao, and Rou Gui) and many others.
We had never heard of this Dan Cong, which we discovered is not well known even in China itself.
Dan Cong are types of oolong originating from the Guangdong region but can also be found in southern Fujian (as they are neighboring).

To reach this tea farm, we drove for a couple of hours, climbing up to 800 m, reaching a fantastic view, a place surrounded by untamed nature, rich in water and vegetation.
This Ba Xian Dan Cong immediately amazed us because it was clearly the best we tasted during our exploration among the growers of this tea. We visited at least 5 different ones, and this was the winner for us.

PROCESSING

Ba Xian is a whole leaf tea, with an oxidation of about 55%. From the moment the leaves are harvested to the final processing, it takes about 4-5 days, during which it goes through several steps. After that, it is left to rest, as is the case for many oolongs, for a few months.

TASTING NOTES

Among the various Dan Cong (the other more famous ones are the Feng Huang Dan Cong and the Duck Shit Dan Cong), Ba Xian is the one with the most floral and mineral notes. We were very impressed by its complexity that develops on different levels: bread crust, orchid, honey, nuts.
 

PREPARATION

We recommend preparing it with the gong fu cha method:

A gaiwan of about 120-140 ml in which 5-6 g of leaves are placed with very short infusions starting from 20”.
Multiple infusions up to about 8.

For Western-style infusions, we recommend 3-4g per cup (200ml) and 2 minutes of infusion.