Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]

Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]
Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]

Duck Shit (Ya Shi Xiang) Oolong Tea [LIMITED RELEASE]

  • Taste Profile: Intensely floral, honeyed and creamy with gardenia, orchid and subtle mineral notes.
  • 100g = 25 serves (ideal for re-steeping)
  • Made to be re-steeped, ideal for sharing with friends
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Origin: China

Ingredients: Ya Shi Xiang Oolong Tea

This one is a little different. Duck Shit Tea is best enjoyed Gongfu-style, using a small teapot or gaiwan and several short infusions. It takes a little more attention than your everyday brew, but that's part of the ritual, and you'll get much more from the leaves for it.

1. Measure: Use around 4g of tea per 100ml of water.

2. Wake the leaves: Pour 95–100°C water over the leaves and immediately discard. This quick rinse helps open the leaves and prepare them for brewing.

3. First steep: Add fresh hot water and steep for around 10–15 seconds, then pour completely.

4. Re-steep: Continue brewing the same leaves, gradually increasing the steeping time with each infusion. Taste as you go and adjust to your preference.

5. Take your time: Duck Shit Tea can deliver multiple infusions, with the aroma and flavour changing as the leaves open. Don't leave the leaves sitting in water between brews, make sure to pour each infusion completely.

A little tip: Resist the urge to brew this like a regular cup of tea. A long first steep can overpower the delicate aromatics and leave you with a very bitter cup. Short, repeated infusions are where this tea really comes into its own.

You don't need to add anything to this tea once it's perfectly steeped. Just add good friends, long conversations, and something buttery or slightly sweet on the side.

Phoenix Dan Cong oolong: A partially oxidised tea traditionally produced in the Phoenix Mountains of Guangdong, prized for its highly aromatic character.

Naturally aromatic: Its distinctive floral and honeyed character comes from the tea cultivar, growing environment and traditional processing rather than added flavouring.

Duck Shit Tea

I'm sorry, did you just say "Duck Shit Tea"?

Yes. Yes, we did. And before you ask: no, it doesn't contain or taste like it. 

Read out blog on Duck Shit Tea: The Premium Oolong You Need to Try.

The name is famously unappealing. The tea is anything but. Duck Shit Tea, or Ya Shi Xiang, is a highly aromatic Phoenix Dan Cong oolong from the Phoenix Mountains of Guangdong, China. This is seriously good tea. Intensely fragrant, complex and beautifully layered, with notes of gardenia and orchid, soft honeyed sweetness, a creamy body and subtle mineral character.

So why the hell is it called Duck Shit Tea? The most famous story is that a tea farmer had discovered an exceptionally fragrant tea and didn't want anyone stealing cuttings from his prized bushes. So, when people asked what it was, he gave it a deliberately terrible name: Ya Shi Xiang — Duck Shit Fragrance. Other versions link the name to the distinctive yellow-brown “duck shit soil” where the original tea bushes grew. Whatever the exact origin, the name stuck, and today, Ya Shi Xiang is one of the most distinctive styles of Phoenix Dan Cong oolong.

Be careful when brewing. Resist the urge to brew this like a regular cup of tea. A long first steep can overpower the delicate aromatics and leave you with a very bitter cup. Short, repeated infusions are where this tea really comes into its own. See our "How to Brew" section for more details. 

This tea is best enjoyed during the day, particularly when you're sharing a pot with friends. This is a tea worth talking about, comparing, re-steeping and, frankly, having a good laugh about, especially once you can tell people what you're drinking.

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