Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
Both are called dan cong and they are made on opposite models. Song Zhong comes from individual old seed-grown trees on Wudong, picked and roasted one at a time; Ling Tou is a single 1960s selection propagated by cutting and grown at scale across a county.
Point by point
| Dimension | Ling Tou Dan Cong | Song Zhong Dan Cong |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Oolong · partially oxidised | Oolong · partially oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Oxidation → Kill-green (fixation) → Strip rolling → Drying → Charcoal roasting. light roast and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Oxidation → Kill-green (fixation) → Strip rolling → Drying → Charcoal roasting. medium roast and spring harvest. |
| Origin | China — Phoenix Mountain | China — Phoenix Mountain |
| Flavour | floral, sweet and fruity. medium and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: honey, gardenia, light apricot. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | floral, sweet and fruity. full bodied and rich in the mouth. Aroma: orchid, honey, ripe apricot, warm wood. Layered in character. Bold in intensity. |
| Brewing | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–6 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 8s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. Flash-chilled iced tea: 2.5–4 g/100 ml at 92–100 °C, first steep 60s. Chaozhou gongfu brewing (three cups): 8–13 g/100 ml at 96–100 °C, first steep 5s of 8 authored. | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–6 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 8s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. Flash-chilled iced tea: 2.5–4 g/100 ml at 92–100 °C, first steep 60s. Chaozhou gongfu brewing (three cups): 8–13 g/100 ml at 96–100 °C, first steep 5s of 8 authored. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Used in Chaozhou gongfu cha. Commands a very large premium and is widely imitated. Age claims about individual bushes are not verifiable by a buyer at any price. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and is willing to drink something several times before it makes sense. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.