Snow Flake "Duck Shit"

A fresh winter harvest of one of our most notorious Phoenix Oolongs, Snow Flake "Duck Shit." This tea reminds us both how potent, and how sweet, things can be during the winter months. This year's harvest is so excellent it could be considered a benchmark for Snowflake Duck Shit: intensely floral, aromatic, creamy and rich.

"Snow Flake" refers to oolongs that are harvested in the winter season. They are gathered when temperatures are frosty on the mountains, and are the smallest harvests of the year. Teas harvested and crafted during this time are known to have a special "snow flavor," along with the concentrated sweetness common amongst things that grow through the winter.

This Snow Flake "Duck Shit" comes from Mr. Fu's family, who have been residents of Qipan Village on Dazhi Mountain for generations, keeping bees and growing tea. Their farm is on the eastern side and the third highest peak of the Phoenix Mountain range, where the Dancong varietal originates from, and where there are still thousands of them, over 100 years old, scattered throughout the tiny villages.

The peak of Dazhi Mountain has an elevation of 4200 ft and the village of Qipan is located about halfway up, at an altitude of 2300 ft. Here, the temperatures are more mild, and the soil is very unique, made of a type of oil shale that is rich in kerogen and minerals, producing the distinct aroma we find in Dazhi Mountain teas. Only tea farms positioned near the middle of this mountainous region, like those in Dazhi, are able to produce a winter harvest tea, making teas like this one very precious, even to the locals.

These dark, robust leaves smell powerful in the gaiwan, like incense, cedar and caramelized plum. The liquor has an impressive amount of structure, as well as clearing evergreen notes that are especially pronounced in this harvest. Its light astringency is evenly distributed on the palate, and stays present for many infusions, until giving way to a deep and comforting sweetness. You will enjoy spending a good amount of time with this exceptional tea, especially in cold weather.