Phoenix Honey Orchid

Without a doubt, Phoenix Honey Orchid is one of the most exclusive and most special teas that Four Leaves offers. With floral top notes, a honey-like natural sweetness and a slightly smoky finish, this is a premium loose leaf tea, loved by connoisseurs for its smoothness and complexity that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Phoenix Honey Orchid originates from one of China's tea regions: Guangdong and is harvested from a few trees, some of which have been growing on mineral-rich, rocky slopes for over 700 years. Unlike the familiar images of tea plantations, these trees grow individually and reach heights of up to five metres. Our Phoenix Honey Orchid is an oolong tea, which is produced from an ancient selection of special tea plants (Mount Wudong Song), which have their roots in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). In combination with the hot, rocky terroir, this oolong tea gives a golden orange infusion with velvety soft characters of orchid, honey, stewed plums and hints of nuts.

Phoenix Honey Orchid is harvested in early spring, typically picking one bud and two to three leaves. It is an oolong tea that undergoes a relatively high degree of oxidation (about 40%); this is caused by the tea being gently rolled by hand after being refreshed. The tea maker's skill lies in knowing when the right degree of oxidation has been reached, then baking the tea in a charcoal oven to stop the oxidation process. The result is Phoenix Honey Orchid's dried appearance with dark brown, curled, roasted leaves and wonderfully complex flavors. Masterful!

Ingredients:
Pure oolong tea from Guangdong (China).

2-3 minutes      85°C (185°F)