Roast: Heavy
Source: Fujian province, Wuyi (not the scenic area, but nearby)
Description
This is an aged roasted Wuyi oolong tea of the Lao Cong Shui Xian varietal, made in 2008.
Tasting notes
Aging has calmed the roast significantly: it has a deep flavor of carob and dried fruit and a heavenly aged scent.
Storage: This was purchased by us in 2009 and aged in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Seattle in sealed foil bags. It has never been re-roasted.
More about this tea
“Lao Cong” means “Old Bush,” a moniker entirely subjective to the tea farmer growing it. Generally, these bushes are at least 15 years old, hopefully older.
“Shui Xian” is the name of the varietal, and it has various translations: “narcissus (flower)” is the most common. Others include the name of a legendary aquatic immortal; a name for those buried at sea, and a “person who wanders abroad and does not return”. Given that the varietal would have been named by someone speaking Min, the local language, it’s entirely possible the words have another meaning. As with most things with Chinese tea, obscure origins are further obfuscated by legends and stories.