The name. Ye Lai Xiang (夜来香) is a Phoenix Oolong — one of the ten classic aroma types of Phoenix Dancong, the family of oolongs grown on Phoenix Mountain in Chaozhou, Guangdong. The name nods to a night-blooming flower whose fragrance the tea is said to echo. The aroma name describes how the tea smells, It's a sensory category the local tea world has used for generations, not a botanical label.
The place. Phoenix Mountain (Feng Huang Shan) is the documented home of Dancong oolong. As the story goes, a boy-emperor of the late Southern Song passed through the Wudong slopes, drank the local tea to slake his thirst, and the tea became known as "Song tea." By the Qing dynasty, growers had started picking, processing, and selling tea bush by bush — dan cong literally means "single bush" — which is where the name of the whole style comes from. The Ye Lai Xiang mother tree still grows in Wudong, around 1,100 meters up, and is reckoned to be roughly 300 years old.
Origin: A lot of oolongs borrow a famous mountain's name without coming from it. This one doesn't have to — it's grown on the outer slopes Phoenix Mountain itself, organically, in the place the style is actually from. We think a tea this good belongs in a canister on your counter, not behind glass.
Brewing: Our label way, measured for an 8 oz cup: 3 g of leaf, 210°F water, steeped 3 minutes. Simple and lovely. There's also a fun second method that isn't quite gongfu and isn't quite Western — use more leaf (about 8 g), the same 210°F water, and steep in quick 20-second bursts. Pour each one off and go again; you'll get five or six cups, and the flavor shifts a little sweeter each time.
What does Ye Lai Xiang taste like?
Highly floral — night-blooming jasmine and ripe orchard fruit over a honeyed, gently roasted base. The liquor is golden and sweet, with a long finish. It's smooth, never sharp or bitter, even if you over-steep it.
Do I need special equipment to brew it?
No. Dancong is traditionally brewed gongfu-style — a small pot and many short steeps — and it's wonderful that way. But it's just as good with a spoonful in a regular mug. This isn't a tea you can only enjoy with a ceremony.
What does "Dancong" mean?
It means "single bush." Phoenix tea growers historically picked, pro
cessed, and sold the leaves from individual trees separately, prizing each one's distinct aroma. Ye Lai Xiang is one of those aroma types — named for its resemblance to night-blooming jasmine.
Is this really from Phoenix Mountain?
Yes. Unlike some oolongs that take a famous region's name without the provenance, this one is grown organically on the slopes of Phoenix Mountain in eastern Guangdong — the documented home of Dancong oolong.
How many times can I steep the leaves?
Five or six, if you use the flash-steep method — more leaf (about 8 g) and quick 20-second pours. The tea opens up and sweetens across infusions, so a single measure can carry you through a whole afternoon.
How much caffeine is in it?
As a semi-oxidized oolong, roughly 30–50 mg per 8 oz cup — moderate, less than coffee. Paired with the L-theanine naturally present in tea, it gives a steady, calm alertness rather than a spike.
