Pan Long (盤龍, Pán Lóng, "Coiling Dragon") - One of the most bizarre of all the teas we carry, Pán Lóng is made from a unique feral tea plant that grows like a vine, coiled around a larger tree. This rare phenotypical morph of the tea plant gives this tea its name, which means “Coiling Dragon.” The tea itself is barely recognizable as tea; its leaves are rounder and less serrated than normal Phoenix teas, with an oily-sweet flavor and a brown liquor. The most remarkable aspect of this tea is the intense, nearly psychedelic Qi. If you’re the sort of person who sees ghosts, this tea is likely to make you see ghosts. This tea is processed more like a white tea than an oolong: simply sun-dried, with no Shā Qīng 殺青 ("Kill the Green") to lock in an oxidation level. Pán Lóng is a specific 2012 harvest. Tea master Lin Yaobin has been unable to find the unique tree that this tea is made from since 2012, meaning that this one limited harvest might be the only one we ever get.
3 Reviews
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Fall Plums
For whatever reason, when this tea is hot i can't taste anything. So I brew this cold and the flavors explode. It's so sweet with lots of fruit upfront like a syrup of raisins and plums. A beautiful tea i think anyone would enjoy.
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Gentle and Sweet Tea with Sweet Memories of my Grandmother
A pleasant sweetness that reminded me of a more mellow sweetness that I got from the Gamma Ray red tea but with a hint of some sort of spice. I couldn't place my finger on what it was, maybe a tiny tiiiiiny bit of cinnamon in something like an apple cider. It reminded me of a very nice memory of drinking hot apple cider with my now passed grandmother that I hadn't thought of in a decade at least. I hope to buy more before it is all gone and I also hope the farmer is able to find this while foraging again some day. Thank you for this experience.
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Herbaceous and intense
This is unlike any tea I've had. The smell is sweet, earthy, and pungent like many aged oolongs. The taste is like basil and mint. Herbaceous zestiness, sharp yet restrained bitterness on the back of the tongue, and a cooling sensation in your mouth. And the claims of its powerful qi are no exaggeration. The tea is embracing, stimulating, and perplexing from the very first sip. I can usually handle 10 grams of tea in my 5 oz gaiwan, but this one is too strong for me at that ratio and I'm cutting the liquor with a splash of plain hot water to avoid being overwhelmed.