Qi Lan奇兰

Qi Lan is a Yan Cha oolong from Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Brew it at 100°C with 6g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 8 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. A quick rinse is recommended.

Tasting notes

Qi Lan earns its name — 'rare orchid' — honestly, which isn't something I say often about floral tea marketing. The orchid aroma is deep and persistent, not the perfumy top-note flash from greener oolongs, and it sits inside the cup rather than on top. Almond blossom and a warm baked-grain note come with it, and the body is creamy in a way that coats the tongue without feeling sticky. Originally an Anxi cultivar, Qi Lan moved to Wuyi in the 1930s and picked up a mineral backbone the Anxi version still lacks — that rock rhyme is the reason to drink this one over its southern cousin. It's among the more forgiving yancha: short flash steeps work, slightly longer steeps work too. The orchid window is steeps two through four. After that it goes honeyed and mineral and stays there through steep eight.

Flavor profile

Lives up to its name — orchid aromatics are deep and persistent, supported by almond blossom and a warm baked-grain quality. The liquor is golden-amber with a creamy, coating mouthfeel. Honeyed mineral sweetness runs underneath, and the Wuyi terroir adds the characteristic rock rhyme that separates it from Anxi Qi Lan. Forgiving to brew and rewarding across many steeps.

Terroir

Originally from Anxi; introduced to Wuyi in the 1930s. Adapts well to Wuyi rocky terroir, gaining mineral depth absent in Anxi-grown versions

Cultivar: Qi Lan (vigorous grower, widely planted across southern Fujian and Guangdong)

Brewing

Rinse: Quick rinse — Qi Lan opens easily and the first real steep is ready fast.

1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
2. Steep 1: 10 seconds
3. Steep 2: 10 seconds
4. Steep 3: 15 seconds
5. Steep 4: 20 seconds
6. Steep 5: 25 seconds
7. Steep 6: 30 seconds
8. Steep 7: 35 seconds
9. Steep 8: 45 seconds

One of the more forgiving yancha to brew. Works well with both short flash steeps and slightly longer infusions. The orchid character is most pronounced in steeps 2-4.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• oxidized
• twisted
• medium roast

Sources

• https://yunnansourcing.com/products/wu-yi-shan-qi-lan-rock-oolong-tea
• https://meileaf.com/tea/summer-haze/
• https://meileaf.com/article/tasting-qi-lan-oolong/
• https://verdanttea.com/qilan-wuyi-oolong
• https://teadb.org/wuyi-oolong-compendium/