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.
1 Review
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Lemongrass Bomb
I brewed this unusual tea like I do dancong, by crushing 2 grams of the 8 used, and flash steeping. This method worked, but it also showed how incredibly different this from other Phoenix teas. The white tea-like processing is evident on sight, but also when tasted. It is grassy and bright, unlike the wild perfumes of a dancong. The taste was wild and multifaceted but the strongest element was a distinct and powerful lemongrass flavor. Both in aspects of taste and cha qi, it felt more like a wild growing Pu'er than a dancong.