Molixiang “Jasmine Fragrance”

凤西老丛茉莉香

Harvest
May 2021

Origin
Wudong, Guangdong

In English, Molixiang directly translates to “Jasmine Fragrance.” Around the world, Jasmine Fragrance is one of the better known types of Phoenix Oolong.  It is intensely floral, and carries the noticeable scent of jasmine. This Molixiang is from Fengxi Mountain, where the Molixiang tea trees are around 40-50 years old; old enough to be considered Old Grove in this region. Fengxi Mountain is not a relatively high elevation mountain in the Phoenix Mountain range, making this varietal inherently more accessible, however no less care is put into crafting this tea than any more remote, high elevation Phoenix oolong.

Jasmine flowers have a special quality. Then smelled up close their aroma is so intense it overwhelms the senses, but when smelled from afar it is so beguiling it draws us towards it. In regards to the craftsmanship of this tea, artisans are attentive to produce the scent of jasmine from a distance rather than the overtaking experience we can have of it at closer proximity.

To allow the aroma to concentrate and relax this tea has been aged for a year, and it is tasting really good now. It is balanced, and the liquor is rich and mouth-coating. At first it is sweet and fragrant like flowers and their nectar, then it moves into something with more edges, like orchid flowers, before giving way to the taste of the “grove,” where we feel the age and embeddedness of these trees in their region. 

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Brewing guide