Old Bush Mi Lan Xiang

About the tea

OG-8 is an old-bush Mi Lan Xiang from a tiny high-mountain garden in Lizi Ping. It is the older and rarer counterpart to OG-1: the aromatic theme and craft are related, but OG-8 is deeper, fuller, and more multidimensional. It has been one of our undisputed bestsellers for years. In more than two decades of searching through Guangdong oolongs, we have not found another Mi Lan Xiang that combines aromatic clarity, complexity, and brewing endurance more convincingly.

Origin and production

The leaf was picked in early April 2026 at approximately 1,200–1,300 metres. The bushes are around 100–120 years old. The garden is exceptionally small: its entire 2026 harvest was about 12 kilograms. Plucking, sorting, processing, and the final roast are all performed by hand. The tea is heated over charcoal made from fruit-tree wood rather than in an electric oven. This does not add fruit flavouring; its value lies in slow, controlled heat and the maker’s ability to respond precisely to a small batch.

Place of origin

Lizi Ping is a high-mountain village on Wudong in the Phoenix tea region of Chaozhou. Small gardens and old tea plants are concentrated here, and production is not on a mass-market scale. These lots are often retained by local enthusiasts and collectors. Its higher garden, older bushes, and fully handmade processing shape a rare, deep character that clearly distinguishes OG-8 from OG-1.

Taste and aroma

The dry leaf brings together ripe peach, nectarine, apricot, and warm flowers. In a heated gaiwan, baked peach, light caramel, and a touch of toffee emerge. Plum blossom opens into a broader floral bouquet in the liquor, while the fruit has more volume than in OG-1. Beneath it sit quiet woody depth and gentle minerality. The texture is dense, soft, and almost creamy, with astringency acting as a fine structural frame. The finish is exceptionally long: flowers, peach, and caramel recede gradually over several minutes rather than disappearing at once.

Brewing

Gongfu. Use 5 g per 100 ml in a porcelain gaiwan or small teapot, with water at about 95 °C. Rinsing is optional. Begin with 5–8 seconds and extend gradually. Faster infusions preserve the clarity of fruit and flowers; longer rounds emphasize structure, caramel, and woody depth. Expect approximately 8–10 full infusions.

Simple steeping. Use 3 g per 250 ml at 90–95 °C. Steep for 2.5–3 minutes and decant completely. Extend the second brew to about 4 minutes. The tea is forgiving, although an excessively long first steep can obscure some of its finer floral detail.

Session impression

OG-8 deserves enough time to follow not only separate notes but the way they form a coherent whole. It remains intense, clean, and balanced at the same time. A side-by-side session with OG-1 makes the distinction especially clear: the familiar aromatic foundation gains greater depth, volume, and persistence here.

Storage

Keep the tea tightly closed in a dry, dark place without ambient odours. A stable room temperature is preferable to refrigeration. Because the lot is so small, consider keeping a working quantity separately so the main package is opened less often and retains its aroma for longer.