Milan Dancong

Tea: Milan Dancong
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £6.99 / 50g
Source: Wu Dong Shan, Chaozhou, Guangdong province.
Vendor Description: This wonderful oolong comes from a plantation on the lower slopes of Wu Dong mountain. The leaves are thoroughly fermented and baked to produce a rich liquor with unique flowery and honey notes that can be enjoyed through multiple infusions

Leaf: The leaf for this tea appears to be thin delicate wiry black leaves. As normal for a Dan Cong it is very low density and it has a very floral aroma. There is a bit of green coloring to the edges of the leaf.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 208F, 45s, 5s rinse

1st Infusion: There is a very strong and sweet floral aroma to this tea. It is very characteristically Dan Cong in nature. The tea has a rich golden brown hue to it, this hue is quite surprising for a 45s Infusion. The flavor is very up front and very characteristically Dan Cong. The flavor is centered in the early to mid portions of the flavor with little to no portion in the late flavor. It is light bodied, yet has a very intense flavor. The flavor has a sharpness to it, but not so much so that it becomes a bitterness.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has the same golden brown color. The aroma is more floral this time, but not as sweet as the first infusion. The flavor is sweeter and still light bodied. The flavor is much longer lasting and has a nice tapering aftertaste.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 1:00, 208F

3rd Infusion: This infusion was lighter yet, but still had quite a floral aroma to it. The flavor is a bit lighter. Despite being lighter in flavor it is quite rich in taste. Despite being lighter it is still quite enjoyable.

4th Infusion Parameters: 2:00, 208F

4th Infusion: This infusion has a sweeter aroma than the 3rd. The tea still shows a beautiful golden brown hue to it. The flavor this time around is very even throughout. It carries a bold flavor from the beginning all the way to the end to finish in a long lasting lingering aftertaste.

5th Infusion Parameters: 3:00, 208F

5th Infusion: This infusion has a light aroma now. There is no color change to speak of, but there is a waterniess in the flavor that shows signs of the tea giving up. Despite the watery aspect of this flavor it is still a very good flavor.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This is a very good Dan Cong. It's not necessarily the best on that I've had, but it's also far from being the worst. On the scale of Dan Congs it's priced right in the middle of things, closer to the bottom end than the top though. The quality of the flavor though leans more toward the higher end ones, which makes it quite a good value DC. The sweetness aspect was a bit unique to this one in the DCs that I have tried. I very much enjoyed this tea.