Zhi Lan Xiang芝兰香

Zhi Lan Xiang is a Dan Cong oolong from Feng Xi, Wu Dong Mountains, Chaozhou, Guangdong. Brew it at 95°C with 7g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 10 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. A quick rinse is recommended.

Tasting notes

Here's the trick with Zhi Lan Xiang: it smells stronger than it tastes, and that's a compliment. The Zhi Lan orchid has a heavy, sweet, almost resinous perfume, and the dry leaf and gaiwan lid carry it so intensely that the first thing you should do is nose the lid between every pour. In the cup the character translates to a thick, lubricating mouthfeel that coats the throat rather than the tongue, with a long soothing aftertaste that unspools slowly. Unusual for Dancong: the astringency is low, so it doesn't punish a slightly slow pour the way Mi Lan Xiang does — the one I recommend for people still learning the category. Thick mouthfeel peaks around steeps three through five. After that the perfume thins but the sweetness holds. Ten useful steeps from a good lot. 95°C, don't go higher — boiling cooks the orchid flat.

Flavor profile

Thick, pungent, and expansive in the mouth with a lubricating mouthfeel that coats the throat. The aroma is intensely orchid-like — the Zhi Lan orchid is known for its sweet, heavy perfume. Very low astringency for a Dan Cong; the long, soothing aftertaste is the star here.

Terroir

Wu Dong mountain slopes, mineral-rich soil

Cultivar: Zhi Lan Xiang

Brewing

Rinse: Quick 5-second rinse — Zhi Lan Xiang unfurls readily.

1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
2. Steep 1: 10 seconds
3. Steep 2: 10 seconds
4. Steep 3: 12 seconds
5. Steep 4: 15 seconds
6. Steep 5: 20 seconds
7. Steep 6: 25 seconds
8. Steep 7: 30 seconds
9. Steep 8: 40 seconds
10. Steep 9: 50 seconds
11. Steep 10: 60 seconds

The pungent orchid aroma is strongest from the wet leaf and lid — nose the gaiwan lid between steeps. The thick mouthfeel develops most in steeps 3-5.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• semi-oxidized
• rolled
• roasted

Sources

• https://yunnansourcing.com/products/zhi-lan-xiang-dan-cong-oolong-tea
• https://yunnansourcing.com/products/high-mountain-zhi-lan-xiang-dan-cong-oolong-tea
• https://yunnansourcing.com/pages/brewing-guide-for-green-black-oolong-and-pu-erh-teas