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鴨屎香 Yā Shǐ Xiāng “Duck Shit Fragrance”
Don’t let the name fool you, this tea is excellent. In fact, the name was originally meant to keep potential buyers at bay as the original farmer of this now famous/infamous tea did not want to sell it and, therefore, gave it a not-so-appealing appellation. Nowadays, Yā Shǐ Xiāng is a highly sought after 單欉烏龍茶 dān cóng wūlóng chá from 烏岽山 Wūdōngshān, produced in the 潮州 Cháozhōu region, famous for their complex-flavored and strongly-brewed oolongs. As a now classic of this style, Yā Shǐ Xiāng contains a myriad of flavors within its long, tightly coiled leaves, ranging from sweet melon, butterscotch, toasted almonds, marigolds, and tart cherry. Unlike the more common greener, lower oxidized versions of this tea, this is traditionally processed with higher oxidization, resulting in deeper flavors that seek to balance brighter, more vegetal tones with deeper and robust flavors, allowing for longer and more abundant steepings (typically I can brew this tea 8 or more times and still get great complex flavor). The finish and mouthfeel are equally complex, with a lingering silkiness that can last for several hours.
Brewing Suggestions
This Yā Shǐ Xiāng is a joy to brew, both forgiving as a light-brewed tea and more challenging when attempting to deep steep. Being a slightly higher oxidation than the more recent greener incarnations of this tea allows for the tea to be brewed at higher temperatures for longer steep times, resulting in complexity rather than becoming cloyingly bitter. The range of flavors is wider, as one can produce lighter, more floral and vegetal brews with cooler, shorter steeps, and more robust, bolder flavors with hotter, longer brew times.
In a 120-180 ml (~4-6 oz) Yíxìng teapot or porcelain gàiwǎn, place roughly 4-6 grams of tea, and steep for 1-2 minutes with water at near boiling temperature (~98C/210F). The result should be a lighter, crisper tasting tea. To truly push Yā Shǐ Xiāng, increase the amount of tea to roughly 5-8 grams, the water temperature to straight off boiling (~100C/212F), and the first steep time to 2-3 minutes. The resulting brew will be strong in flavor, but (if done right) should be balanced in sweetness, astringency, and big, somewhat silky mouthfeel.
Subsequent steepings should be marginally longer to help in pushing remaining flavor from the tea. Expect the first three to five steepings to continue in strength, tapering off by the fifth, sixth and seventh, with remaining sweetness in the final steeps.
Don’t let the name fool you, this tea is excellent. In fact, the name was originally meant to keep potential buyers at bay as the original farmer of this now famous/infamous tea did not want to sell it and, therefore, gave it a not-so-appealing appellation. Nowadays, Yā Shǐ Xiāng is a highly sought after 單欉烏龍茶 dān cóng wūlóng chá from 烏岽山 Wūdōngshān, produced in the 潮州 Cháozhōu region, famous for their complex-flavored and strongly-brewed oolongs. As a now classic of this style, Yā Shǐ Xiāng contains a myriad of flavors within its long, tightly coiled leaves, ranging from sweet melon, butterscotch, toasted almonds, marigolds, and tart cherry. Unlike the more common greener, lower oxidized versions of this tea, this is traditionally processed with higher oxidization, resulting in deeper flavors that seek to balance brighter, more vegetal tones with deeper and robust flavors, allowing for longer and more abundant steepings (typically I can brew this tea 8 or more times and still get great complex flavor). The finish and mouthfeel are equally complex, with a lingering silkiness that can last for several hours.
Brewing Suggestions
This Yā Shǐ Xiāng is a joy to brew, both forgiving as a light-brewed tea and more challenging when attempting to deep steep. Being a slightly higher oxidation than the more recent greener incarnations of this tea allows for the tea to be brewed at higher temperatures for longer steep times, resulting in complexity rather than becoming cloyingly bitter. The range of flavors is wider, as one can produce lighter, more floral and vegetal brews with cooler, shorter steeps, and more robust, bolder flavors with hotter, longer brew times.
In a 120-180 ml (~4-6 oz) Yíxìng teapot or porcelain gàiwǎn, place roughly 4-6 grams of tea, and steep for 1-2 minutes with water at near boiling temperature (~98C/210F). The result should be a lighter, crisper tasting tea. To truly push Yā Shǐ Xiāng, increase the amount of tea to roughly 5-8 grams, the water temperature to straight off boiling (~100C/212F), and the first steep time to 2-3 minutes. The resulting brew will be strong in flavor, but (if done right) should be balanced in sweetness, astringency, and big, somewhat silky mouthfeel.
Subsequent steepings should be marginally longer to help in pushing remaining flavor from the tea. Expect the first three to five steepings to continue in strength, tapering off by the fifth, sixth and seventh, with remaining sweetness in the final steeps.