This tasting set offers you a rare opportunity to compare the effects of different roasting styles on the same tea material—in this case, a well-known Fenghuang Dancong, Ya Shi Xiang. With no differences in harvest time or producer, the first tea was roasted twice in the classic Chaozhou-style at a relatively low temperature of 105–110°C for 8 hours each time. The mao cha of the second tea was brought to Wuyishan and processed by a local roaster in Wuyi-style, similarly to a Yancha. It underwent roasting three times over summer and autumn, at a higher temperature of 120–130°C for 12 hours each.

We recommend starting with the Chaozhou-style roast (浓香, nongxiang, or traditional roast) as a reference for the Wuyi-style tea. The fragrance of the twisted leaves is rich with sweetness. The wet leaves reveal notes of milk chocolate, candied nuts, and cinnamon, evolving into even deeper aromas of honeyed milk and brown sugar. As the leaves cool, tropical fruit nuances—lychee and guava—emerge. The liquor offers the creamy, viscous mouthfeel characteristic of this cultivar, with roasted almond flavors seamlessly melding into a peachy sweetness, followed by a lingering mineral, rocky finish. This tea is a masterful example of traditional Dancong!

As for the Wuyi-style roast, we’ll leave the exploration up to you—with just one suggestion: try to be mindful of your expectations. Are you approaching this tea as a Dancong or as a Yancha? What are you looking for in the fragrance, taste, and mouthfeel? And how does this influence your judgment? There is much to discover here, emphasizing the important role of mindset when drinking tea. Enjoy!

Written by Sven