Shui Xian - 2011 Spring Wu Yi Oolong Tea

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Varietal: Shui Xian
Harvest: Spring, 2011
Growing Region: Wuyi Shan Scenic Area, Fujian Province
Roast: Traditional Full Roast
10g Sample Available
Volume Discount: 10% off 100g, 15% off 250g or more.
Discount reflected in displayed price

Overview:
Shui Xian (English: Water Sprite, Water Fairy) is one of the most well known Wuyi Oolong teas in the West since low quality versions of this tea are commonly served as a “house tea” in many Chinese restaurants. It was hand harvested and processed during the Spring season of 2011 in the Wu Yi Shan National Scenic Area of Northwest Fujian Province at an altitude of 500-600 meters.

Appearance, Flavor & Aroma:
This tea’s dry leaves are the long and twisting shape and dark greenish red-brown color characteristic of traditional Wu Yi Yan Cha. The fragrance of the dry leaves is nice and toasty with hints of roasted nuts. This is a traditionally made Wuyi Oolong, which has been allowed to oxidize to a greater degree than the greener versions of these teas that have become popular. It was also traditionally roasted over charcoal for 28-30 hours, resulting in a dark, rich and toasty finished product.
When infused, this tea produces a clear, moderately thick liquor with a rich, toasty-sweet aroma. The flavor is toasty and sweet with a hard to describe woodiness and hints of cocoa beans and dried fruit in the finish. The aftertaste is bittersweet and has elements of the dark roast and hints of cocoa that lingers beautifully on my palate.

I think this tea is an excellent choice for lovers of bittersweet (80%+) chocolate and those who prefer a dark/espresso roast coffee over a moderate/city roast.

Steeping Guideline:
We strongly suggest Gong Fu style preparation with this tea. Rather than sticking to a specific weight of tea leaves to water volume measure, we recommend simply filling your gaiwan or Yixing style teapot 1/3 to 1/2 full of dry tea leaves, use water just under a boil and a series of short steepings. If you prefer to use a weight to volume measure, try starting with 8 grams of leaf in a 150 ml gaiwan or teapot.

For Western-style steeping, start with 2-3 grams of leaf (it’s hard to give a volume measure in teaspoons because of the large leaf style) per cup. Use water under a boil (195 degrees F), and steep for 3-5 minutes. Adjust the amount of leaf, steeping time, and water temperature used according to your preference.

I also highly recommend either using aroma cups with this tea or at least remembering to smell the lid of the gaiwan or your empty drinking cup. The aroma that lingers on the surface of the ceramic surface is amazing and well worth savoring.

General steeping guidelines for the different categories of Chinese tea and a short downloadable “how to” video on Gong Fu style tea preparation are available on our Chinese Tea Steeping Guide page.

Volume Discount: 10% off 100g, 15% off 250g or more.
Discount reflected in displayed price