Da'an Sunrise Red

大庵东方红

Harvest
April 2023

Origin
Chaozhou, Guangdong

We are very fortunate to be able to offer this beautiful Sunrise Red from Da’an Village of the legendary Wudong Mountain. 

This Phoenix Oolong is crafted out of a varietal of tea called “Dongfang Hong,” which translates directly as “Oriental,” or “Eastern Red.”

This specific tea has long been the one selected to be served to foreign heads of state when they attend important dinners in China. It’s known for its elegant aroma, its deep and full bodied mouth feel, and its silky texture.

It comes from the famous Da’an Village. Da’an Village sits at 3,000 ft elevation, deep within the Wudong Mountains and central to an area widely regarded as the most prestigious origin for Phoenix oolongs.  The name “Da’an'' means “Great Monastery,” a reference to the ancient Taiping temple built here during the Qing Dynasty. On account of the tea-appreciating Buddhist monks that inhabited Taiping, Da’an is home to the “mother trees” of many varietals of Phoenix oolongs that they planted around their temple. The tea trees are third generation offspring of their mother tree, and are now around 20 years old. It is traditionally crafted, mostly by hand, and slowly roasted over charcoal at quite low heat.

The dried tea smells like nectar and honey. Once wet, its dark, long spindles smell more like smoke and acacia wood.  The first three infusions are very fragrant and sweet and it makes us salivate immediately. Its fragrance sticks to the palate, building layers of itself as you drink it.

With a slightly oily texture, one really notices this tea’s intensity amassing through subsequent infusions. Its lingering notes, like longan and wood, are very soothing and give this oolong a downward pull that relaxes the body. Eventually it places us back where it started us off, with the last infusions tasting like very floral honey.

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Brewing guide