A superlative batch of Duck Sh*t Dancong Oolong made from old trees wth some next-level aromatics. Floral, honey, resin, pastry nuts and fruits all in one tea!
Sometimes I want to gatekeep a batch of tea. I want it to sit in the warehouse just for myself and the few teaheads that stumble upon its majesty.
This Yashi Dancong is one of those teas, and I am already hoarding 2kg for my future.
Made from 40-70 year old bushes, this Oolong already has that Lao Cong pedigree. The older trees add richness and a resinous stickiness to set it apart from even the top-shelf Phoenix Oolongs.
But then there is the terroir of Shiguping village which clearly has some alchemy.
Some say that the cultivars from this area are notably different from other villages on Phoenix Mountain, perhaps descendants of slightly different varieties. I cannot confirm this, but I do know that this Ya Shi tastes unlike any I have enjoyed previously.
The archetypal Ya Shi experience is there in full effect - baked almond fragipane with cherry jam emerges from a soft and buttery liquor.
But then there is a whole load more - like combining all of the star qualities of other Fenghuang Dancong into a single tea.
There is a rich and slightly medicinal chestnut honey which combines with pine resin and a creamy beeswax.
There are punnets of vibrant fruit like loquat, apricot and nectarine.
Add a flourish of creamy florality - magnolia, frangipani and lotus.
To top it all off this Old Bush Yashi also has that extra special mountain air fresh minerality reserved for the top tier teas growing in perfect terroir.
I have no doubt that this will be in my top 5 teas of 2026.
