Rum Raisin (鳳凰紅茶, Fèng Huáng Hóng Chá, "Phoenix Red Tea") - An exquisite red tea made from a blend of oolong breeds from the Phoenix Mountains. These distinctive oolong breeds are normally kept separate and used to make dān cōng 單樅 ("single bush") oolong where each variety is a distinct genotype. By blending the late-spring harvested leaves of several different varietals and oxidizing them fully, Chao-An based tea farmer and tea master Lin Yaobin produces what the Chinese call hóng chá 紅茶 (“red tea”), known in the West as “black tea.”
Rum Raisin is the later-Spring harvest of the varieties that make up Black Phoenix. Traditionally considered a lower-grade, Rum Raisin has similar notes as Black Phoenix, but a maltier and more robust flavor, not unlike the darker and less expensive B-grade of maple syrup. The lychee notes of Black Phoenix are transformed in the later Spring to a sweet, rich, fig cake nose.
