An Introduction of Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha
Speaking of Tuocha, aside from the well-known Xiaguang Jiachang and Baoyan Tuocha, Tuocha varieties like Menghai Tuocha, Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha, and Fengpai Jiaji Tuocha are also of considerable quality.
Today, let's delve into the Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha.
Establishment of Nanjian Tea Factory
Nanjian Yi Autonomous County is located in western Yunnan, at the junction of Dali, Lincang, and Pu'er. Since the Tang Dynasty, tea has been cultivated there, making it a famous "tea land."
At the end of 1983, Mr. Lin Xingyun, who previously worked at the Xiaguang Tea Factory (where he served as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Revolutionary Committee of the Xiaguang Tuocha Factory, as well as the Technical Director), came to Nanjian to establish the Yunnan Nanjian Tea Factory. Due to the technology being derived from Xiaguang, the factory was sometimes referred to as "Little Xiaguang."
In 1985, the first batch of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha was released to the market. Thanks to its technical heritage from Xiaguang Tuocha and the quality raw materials from Wuliang Mountain, it was sold out immediately upon launch. Following Xiaguang Tuocha, Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha became a premium in the world of Pu'er Tuocha.
Origin of the "Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix)" Trademark
At that time, because using the "China Tea" trademark involved a fee, various tea factories in Yunnan began to break away from China Tea and planned to register their own trademarks, like Menghai's Dayi brand and Xiaguang's Baoyan brand. In 1987, Nanjian Tea Factory also registered its trademark, introducing the "Tulin" brand.
Due to various reasons, production of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha ceased between 1990 and 1992; however, in 1993, the factory re-registered as "Yunnan Dali Nanjian Tea Company" and restarted production of Tuocha, adding two phoenixes to its trademark, thus changing from "Tulin" to "Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix)."
In the registered trademark design, "Tulin" represents the unique karst landscape of Wuliang Mountain in Nanjian, Dali, surrounded by two dancing phoenixes for an auspicious symbol, hence the tea is affectionately known as "Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha" by tea enthusiasts.
In 2000, when Nanjian Tea Factory wanted to resume production under the "Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix)" trademark, it found that the "Yunnan Dali Nanjian Tea Company" had preempted its use. After negotiation, Nanjian Tea Factory instead used the "FengHuang Gude" trademark.
Batches and Packaging Differences of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha
Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha comes in both raw and ripe forms. Most tea enthusiasts associate Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha with ripe tea, with early versions having a flavor profile similar to that of the 73 Sancha Brick.
There are many production batches of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha, with slight variations in packaging. Early Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha had beautifully printed packaging using glossy thick yellow paper; later packaging was much simpler, with thinner and lighter colored paper.
The early Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha is divided into first and second batches, differentiated mainly by the shape of the phoenix's eyes:
-
The first batch features phoenixes with "double eyelids."
-
The second batch has phoenixes with "single eyelids," which is a clear distinguishing method.
Additionally, the second batch of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha comes in roughly three vintages, with the thickness and darkness of the paper generally indicating an earlier year, though the taste difference is minimal.
1999 Grade B Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha
The 1999 Grade B Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha is a classic in the Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha series, characterized by the packaging and paper quality typical of early products.
-
1999 Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha: This raw tuocha comes in 100g per tuo, with 5 tuos in a pack. The phoenix eye design is double-lidded, with the "Tulin Fenghuang (Phoenix)" logo centrally imprinted with the green "Grade B" characters, topped with the words "Yunnan Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha," and below, it states "Produced by Yunnan Dali Nanjian Tea Company."
-
Upon opening: The tuo is neat, with robust tea leaves, an oily appearance, predominantly using grades 6-7 tea leaves, with slight stems. The material from Wuliang Mountain has a hard leaf quality, and the aroma is rich and well-stored.
-
After aging for 20 years: The tea liquor is rich and fragrant, bright yellow-red, with a slight bitterness that dissipates quickly; it has a mild plum scent. The tea is full of energy, with an initial astringency that turns into a lasting sweetness, leaving an aftertaste in the mouth.
"Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha tastes truly wonderful, standing out proudly in the world of tea." Over time, this modest Fenghuang (Phoenix) Tuocha has become a classic, offering tea lovers around the world more beauty in taste and enjoyment alongside Xiaguang Tuocha.
References:
-
Chen Zhitong. The Profound World of Seven Sons [M]. Taipei: Wuxing Books, 2006
-
Deng Shihai. Pu'er Tea [M]. Kunming: Yunnan Science and Technology Press, 2016
-
Liang Junzhi. New Pu'er Tea Yearbook (1998~2003) [M]. Taipei: Wuxing Books, 2012
(Source : Cang Pin)