Bamboo Leaf (竹叶香, Zhú Yè Xiāng, "Bamboo Leaf Fragrance") is the latest Phoenix Oolong by master A Long to join our collection. There are dozens of cultivars of Phoenix Oolong, descended from 10 major fragrance types. This particular cultivar is part of the Zhī Lán(芝蘭, "Orchid") Fragrance family. Similar to Magnolia Fragrance and Wulong Oolong, it is a lower-oxidation Phoenix oolong with sweet, cool character. Unlike other low-oxidation Phoenix oolongs, its profile is less floral and more savory, with notes of sesame, senbei, kettle corn, sachima, and hard candy.
A Long is a very accomplished fourth-generation tea master who produces more different teas than we can reasonably carry at one time. As a result we have to cycle through portions of his catalog, and are only able to add one or two truly "new" varietals at a time. In 2024 we added Flash Noon, and we're excited to add Bamboo Leaf as our end-of-2024 into 2025 new addition.