We’ve been wanting to add a few more classic styles to our reliable Yancha lineup, and it’s hard to think of a more classic Rock Oolong than Shui Xian. These old bushes are all over 60 years old, and have lived through the revolving fads of Yancha popularity over those many decades. This tea provides an insight into what a simple yancha with no frills can be, roasted, warming, with a body of floral fragrances like reflections shimmering on the tea soup.
There is a delightful fragrance of creamed butter and orchids when the dry leaves are placed into the warmed gaiwan. When in fused with hot water, the toasty butter notes melt into the tea revealing a more robustly floral body tinged with cinnamon and sage.
We never rinse this tea, and always drink the first infusion, though we usually like to save the first infusion in a separate tea pitcher to drink at the end of the session. This huanhun tang or Return to Life brew is usually cool by the time the session is over and it contains some of the most prominent flavors of the session. We also like to brew this tea light and fast to prevent it from overstepping and showcase the more floral body of this tea.
The way we brew this tea, the tea soup is a light amber much more yellow and orange than red. The tea tingles the tongue with its mineral notes, and coats the back of the throat with a sticky oily sensation that lends to its profound huigan. The brew itself is pleasantly thick, providing distilled notes of roasted nuts, berry skin, and the spiciness of something like ginger.
