Feng Huang Dan Cong - Oolong Tea

I'm not sure what to think about this tea, so I will focus on the description given on this site for it and elaborate on those points. First, it may bit hard to notice from the single picture posted for the tea, but the dry leaves are stunning. Theyre multi hued, with the stems standing out in light yellow, the leaves a more subdued green, and some of the tips a dark crimson. Second, the description on the site claims that these leaves are fragrant even before being steeped. Perhaps they are. Personally, I did not find a very noteworthy aroma, especially when compared to, say, a green Tie Guan Yin. Once steeped, the leaves indeed give off a sweet, fruity smell. The same can be said of the liquid -- sweet but with an astringent bite to it. It may take some imagination, however, to be able to attribute either the smell or taste to a longan. Last note on this tea is to not use boiling water to steep it. Although this tea may have bifurcated off a Shui Xian strand, it is very little like its hearty cousin. Do tread lightly!