2026 Da'an Mi Lan Xiang 大庵蜜兰香
Tea Profile
Type: Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong 单丛乌龙
Location: Da’an Village 大庵村, Phoenix Mountain, Chaozhou, Guangdong
Altitude: Approx. 900–1,100 m
Harvest Date: April 3, 2026
Cultivar: Mi Lan Xiang 蜜兰香 (“Honey Orchid Fragrance”)
Age of Tea Bushes: Over 100 years
The Story of This Tea
Mi Lan Xiang 蜜兰香, or “Honey Orchid Fragrance,” is one of the best-known and most widely enjoyed expressions of Phoenix Dan Cong. It is prized for its powerful natural fragrance, honeyed sweetness and smooth texture, combining an immediately recognisable aroma with enough body and depth to remain interesting through a long Gong Fu session.
This 2026 harvest comes from Da’an Village, high in the Phoenix Mountain area at approximately 900–1,100 metres. While Wudong is traditionally regarded as the historical core of Phoenix Mountain tea production, neighbouring Da’an is particularly important for its old tea gardens and mature Dan Cong trees. The bushes used for this tea are over 100 years old.
The gardens here lie among rocky mountain slopes and misty forest. Da’an’s yellow-grey soils and high-elevation growing conditions contribute to the clarity, fragrance and depth of the finished tea. In Mi Lan Xiang, these conditions complement the cultivar’s naturally honeyed and floral character, producing a tea with sweetness, structure and a long aromatic finish.
The result is a high-mountain Dan Cong that balances fragrance with substance. Its honey-orchid aroma is immediately expressive, but beneath it lies a thick, smooth liquor and the depth expected from mature tea bushes growing in one of Phoenix Mountain’s important old-tree areas.
Aroma and Flavour
This Mi Lan Xiang opens with the pronounced honeyed floral fragrance that gives the tea its name. Orchid-like florals rise from the cup alongside ripe fruit sweetness, while the golden-amber liquor feels smooth, rich and substantial.
As the session develops, the fragrance becomes increasingly integrated with the liquor rather than sitting only in the aroma. Honey, ripe fruit and gentle floral notes are supported by a soft mineral character, while the texture remains thick and silky. The sweetness continues long after swallowing, giving the tea an enduring and refreshing finish.
- Aroma: Pronounced honey-orchid fragrance with ripe fruit and soft floral notes
- Flavour: Naturally sweet and smooth, with honey, gentle fruit and balanced floral depth
- Texture: Thick, silky and full-bodied with refined clarity
- Aftertaste: Long-lasting honeyed sweetness with a fresh, lingering floral finish
- Steeping Endurance: 8–10 infusions
Brewing Guidelines
Gong Fu Style
- Teaware: Chaozhou red clay teapot or porcelain gaiwan
- Ratio: 7–8 g per 100 ml water
- Water: 95–100 °C, ideally spring water
- Infusions: Quick rinse; begin with short infusions and gradually extend through 8–10 brews as the leaves open
Western Style
- Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot
- Ratio: 3–4 g per 250 ml water
- Water: Around 95 °C
- Steeping: 2–3 minutes for the first infusion; resteep 2–3 times, extending the time slightly with each infusion
Why Choose This Tea
This 2026 Da’an Mi Lan Xiang combines one of Phoenix Dan Cong’s most recognisable fragrance profiles with the depth of tea from bushes more than 100 years old. Grown between approximately 900 and 1,100 metres, it offers the intense honey-floral aroma expected from Mi Lan Xiang while retaining the texture, persistence and structure needed for a satisfying long session.
Richly fragrant but not fragrance alone, the tea brings together honey sweetness, ripe fruit, silky body and a long floral finish. It is an excellent expression of old-tree Mi Lan Xiang and a particularly approachable way to experience the distinctive character of high-mountain Phoenix Dan Cong.