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Tasting Notes: Ya Shi Xiang opens with notes of heady jasmine, orange blossom, and ripe tangerine notes, settles into a creamy mid-palate of buttered toast and malted honey, and finishes long, warm, and quietly mineral. Supple, silky, and endlessly layered, this is one of the most captivating teas in our Origin Reserve Collection. Now about the name. Ya Shi Xiang translates to "Duck Sh*t Fragrance," and yes, that was entirely intentional. The story goes that a farmer in Wudong Village had tea bushes producing an extraordinarily fragrant tea, so remarkable that he became worried his neighbors and outsiders would covet them, try to take cuttings, or pressure him to reveal where the tea came from. His solution was to give them the least appealing name he could think of. Some accounts also suggest the yellowish-brown soil around the bushes gave him the idea. Either way, the ruse worked for a while. Nobody was asking about the duck sh*t tea. It did not work forever. Word got out, as it tends to do when something is genuinely exceptional, and today Ya Shi Xiang is one of the most sought-after Dancong oolongs in the world. The name stuck, partly because the story is too good to let go, and partly because there is something delightful about a tea this refined carrying a name this ridiculous. One sip and you understand immediately why someone wanted to keep it a secret. Our Ya Shi Xiang comes from Propitious Clouds Estate in Fenghuang Town, Guangdong Province, where tea master Brian tends ancient Song Zhong trees rooted in mineral-rich mountain soil at elevations between 800 and 1,200 meters. Each lot steeps 5 to 7 times, with every infusion offering something a little different. This one is a keeper. Features: Origin: Propitious Clouds Estate, Fenghuang Town, Guangdong Province, China Cultivar: Ya Shi Xiang (鴨屎香) Style: Dan Cong Oolong Harvest: May 2025 Oxidation: Medium Roast: Charcoal, multiple rounds Steeps: 5 to 7 infusions per serving Certification: Organic Caffeine: Medium Ingredients: Oolong Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Lifestyle-Friendly: Vegan, Paleo, Keto Ingredients: oolong tea What Is Ya Shi Xiang? Ya Shi Xiang is part of the Fenghuang Dancong family of oolongs, a lineage of teas from the Phoenix Mountains of Guangdong Province where each cultivar is identified by its native fragrance — orchid, magnolia, ginger flower, cinnamon, and in this case, a uniquely captivating interplay of citrus and floral sweetness. Dancong, meaning "single bush," refers to the tradition of harvesting each varietal separately to preserve its distinct character. Like Mi Lan Xiang, Ya Shi Xiang is semi-oxidized and charcoal roasted, placing it in the oolong family but with a flavor profile that leans floral, fruity, and aromatic rather than dark or roasted. The elegant oxidation and balanced roast bring out both the floral lift and the mineral depth that define great Wudong Mountain teas, making Ya Shi Xiang an extraordinary tea for both seasoned Dancong lovers and those discovering this style for the first time. The Phoenix Mountains: Where Ya Shi Xiang Comes From Fenghuang Town sits within the Phoenix Mountain range of Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, at elevations between 800 and 1,200 meters where acidic red soils, misty mornings, and centuries of tea-growing tradition converge. This is the cradle of Dancong oolongs, a region where the balance of mountain air, mineral-rich rock, and subtropical warmth creates growing conditions found nowhere else on earth. The old-growth tea trees of Wudong Mountain are the heart of what makes Ya Shi Xiang special. Their deep root systems, anchored in rocky mountain terrain over hundreds of years, draw minerals that give this tea its hallmark minerality and perfume-like complexity. Teas from younger bushes grown at lower elevations simply cannot replicate what these ancient trees produce. Multi-generational families have tended these tea gardens for centuries, passing the land and the knowledge down through each generation, and that continuity shows up directly in the quality of what ends up in your cup. The Estate: Propitious Clouds Our Ya Shi Xiang comes from Propitious Clouds Estate, the same single-family operation in Fenghuang Town behind our Mi Lan Xiang. Tea master Brian follows generations of family tradition in these mountains, tending ancient Song Zhong trees with the kind of care and intuition that can only come from a lifetime of working the same land. The making of Ya Shi Xiang at Propitious Clouds is an intricate, multi-day process. Freshly hand-plucked leaves are sun-withered, then shaded and gently shaken to begin partial oxidation, a delicate stage where the tea maker controls moisture and aroma through touch alone. After resting overnight, the leaves are pan-fired to halt oxidation, hand-rolled into their signature long, twisted form, and slowly charcoal-roasted in bamboo baskets to refine the fragrance and build depth. The roasting and resting cycles continue for weeks, each round coaxing out a little more complexity and sweetness. Every harvest, the family works 20-hour days to bring this tea to life. You can taste that dedication in every sip. How to Brew Ya Shi Xiang Western BrewUse 1 teaspoon (approximately 2 grams) of loose leaf per 8 oz of water at 195°F and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. This is a great starting point if you're new to Ya Shi Xiang, and the same leaves can be steeped 2 to 3 times using this method. Avoid boiling water, which can dull the delicate floral and citrus notes. Gongfu BrewFor the full experience, Ya Shi Xiang shines when brewed gongfu style in a small teapot or gaiwan. Use 5 grams of loose leaf per 100ml of water at 195°F and steep for 20 to 30 seconds for the first infusion, adding 5 to 10 seconds for each subsequent steep. This method unlocks the full range of what this tea can do, giving you 5 to 7 rich, evolving infusions from a single serving. Each infusion tells a slightly different story. The first steep opens with jasmine and tangerine. By the third or fourth the honeyed cream and buttered toast notes come forward. By the fifth or sixth a warm mineral sweetness settles in and lingers long after the cup is empty.
