Snow Yashi Xiang 2024 No.526

雪片 - Xue pian, Snow flakes, this is what they call the very late Autumn harvested tea leaves.
As our tea was harvested and made in late October, and also our grower called it Xue Ya Shi Xiang, here it comes the Snow tea.

Yashi Xiang or now also popular it's English translation as Duck Shit fragrance oolong is a nicely fragrant and very popular variety. The tea's roasted level is just  in between our Green Dancong and Milan Xiang (Honey Orchid fragrance). Softly roasted so that the honey and flower notes nicely combine with the nutty, darker tones.

The term dancong (单枞) originally meant phoenix teas all picked from one tree. In recent times though it has become a generic term for all Phoenix Mountain (凤凰山, Fenghuang) oolongs. The dancong’s name, as it does in this case too, often refers to a certain scent/savour.

The steamed aroma brings the notes of wine, mineral, and sweet compote. At 85°C, after 20 seconds, the scent evokes the atmosphere of rocks after rain – mineral, floral, with thyme and a distinct greenness, while the tea’s full-bodied and pleasantly oily texture also emerges. At 90°C, after 30 seconds, the higher temperature brings out the floral notes: intense acacia and lilac, along with roasted flavors coming to the forefront. Compared to last year’s harvest, it’s slightly more roasted. The next infusion evokes the feeling of a freshly sprouting garden – an elegant, full tea, as if one were biting into flowers. A delicate peachy aftertaste lingers for a long time. In the next infusion, alongside the floral notes, the roasted and mineral tones become more prominent, with an aftertaste reminiscent of tropical fruits. The perfect tea for the changing spring weather.

Quantity: 5-6 gramm per 150ml.
Water temperature: 85-95ºC. From fresh spring water or filtered water.
Brewing time: 10-15…seconds
Infusions: 6-7