Sold outPre order
Wuyi ShuiXian Oolong
Encounter a heart-warming tea container, taking a sip or two of light and elegant tea in the middle of a busy schedule; between touch and vision, clearly comprehend heaven, earth and people of nature and ingenuity.
Frequently Bought Together
Description
- Chinese: wǔ yí shān shuǐ xiān wū lóng chá
- Translation: Wuyi Shuixian Zheng Yan Oolong Tea
- Type: Rock Tea (Yan Cha)
- Cultivar: Shuixian
- Origin: Wuyi, Fujian, China
- Harvest Date: 2024/08/08
- Storage Methods: Sealed, Prevent moisture, Vacuum, Alone.
- Tea Master: Jiang Guiming
- Shui Xian is an oolong tea grown in the Wuyi Mountain region of Fujian, China. The tea is grown by second-generation tea farmer, Cindy Chen. Shui Xian is known for its amber red brew and its roasted, mineral, floral (orchid) quality. The leaves are plump and stand up well to long infusions. Most of the Shui Xian plants grown in Wuyishan are around 30-40 years old, as the cultivar gained popularity in the 1980s.
- Wuyi Shuixian is the most gentle of yancha - rock tea. In this tea, made with leaves from trees growing on high mountain altitudes in Wuyishan park banyan area, the floral taste is met by a subtle minerality and a soft roasting initial fragrance. The tea liquor has a bright golden hue, that shines in the cup and fills the air with a mesmerizing floral aroma. A precious bouquet blooms at each infusion, but the main note that can be perceived is the warm purity of narcissus - the flower that gives the name to the Shuixian variety.
- This Wuyi ShuiXian tea has many names including: Water Sprite, Narcissus and Black Dragon. You will see large, full twisted leaves that are dark color. When steeped, the leaves turn varying shades of brown and dark green; evidence of the 40% - 50% oxidation. The liquor is a beautiful chestnut color with complex aromas. You will smell hints of marine and smoky mineral with interesting black currant notes. The drink has medium body and mineral tones which bring sparkle and length in the mouth. It goes well with all food, at all times of day and has interesting changes through multiple further steepings.
- In the 1980's Wuyi ShuiXian was successfully cultivated artificially, and the asexually reproducing Wuyi ShuiXian maintained the characteristics of the original thousand year old tree. The processing technology of the leaves is very fine and includes sun drying, killing the green, greening, frying, initial kneading, re-frying, re-kneading, baking, sorting, cooling, sorting, and so forth. It is an involved process of traditional craftsmanship.
- The first roasting is called zou shui bei, which translates literally to “water walk roasting”. This roast is the hottest and will be anywhere between 120-130°C (248-266°F). It usually lasts for about eight hours. Each subsequent roast will have the temperature reduced, but will last slightly longer.
- The tea leaves must be allowed to rest between roastings. This rest period typically lasts anywhere between 25 days and a month. Resting allows moisture to redistribute evenly through the leaves. It also allows some of the sharpness of the freshly fired charcoal smell to dissipate.
- The alternating periods of roasting and resting make for a very long production cycle, so while the tea is picked in early May, production will not conclude until the end of August. Weather can also add to processing delays since absolutely no roasting is performed on rainy days. This time-consuming traditional roasting technique increases the complexity and depth of the tea’s flavor, which will endure for years in storage.
Wuyi ShuiXian Oolong
$6.25
Sample 15g