Ya Shi Xiang (鸭屎香) comes from Phoenix Mountain in Chaozhou, and the story goes that the farmer who grew it gave it the least appealing name he could think of — so nobody would try to steal cuttings from his bushes. It worked for a while. Then people tasted it, and the secret was out. Its proper name is 银花香, Silver Flower Fragrance, which tells you far more about what’s actually in the cup.
In the cup: an intense gardenia and orchid fragrance that hits before you’ve even taken a sip, a smooth honeyed body with no rough edges, and a cooling sweetness that sits in the throat long after the cup is empty. Dancong oolongs are famous for aroma, and this one earns it.
Brewing:
6-7g · 100°C · Gaiwan
Rinse the leaves once and discard — this wakes them up
1st–6th infusion: in and out as fast as you can pour
Add 5 seconds each round after the 6th · 10–12 infusions
Boiling water only. Dancong needs the heat to open properly, and rushing the pour is what keeps it sweet instead of sharp.
