Every year after we finish making the spring Wuyi Rock Tea, there are different tea competitions held in Wuyishan. For tea producers, these competitions are a chance to compare the teas from the year, see the quality of different batches, and also learn from other tea makers.
This year I am very happy to share some good news.
Our 2026 Shui Xian from Shui Lian Dong 水帘洞 received First Prize 一等奖 in the 2026 Wuyishan Spring Tea Competition.
When I received the result, of course I was very happy. We make many teas every year, and for us the most important thing is always the quality in the cup. But when a tea that we made is also recognised in Wuyishan by professional tea judges, it is a very nice confirmation of the work behind it.
This Shui Xian comes from Shui Lian Dong 水帘洞, inside the Zhengyan core production area of Wuyishan. The tea bushes are around 40 to 50 years old, and the tea was harvested in May 2026.
For this batch, the roasting is a medium-light roast, and it has been roasted twice.
What I Like About This Shui Xian
What I like most about this Shui Xian is not that it won a prize. It is the character of the tea itself.
The floral aroma is very obvious. When you open the gaiwan after brewing, you can immediately smell the orchid and floral fragrance. The tea liquor is clear, rich and substantial, with a very smooth texture. It also has very good endurance. Even after many infusions, the aroma and sweetness are still there.
For me, a good Shui Xian should not only have fragrance. It should have body, depth, sweetness and a long feeling in the mouth after drinking. This tea has all of these things.
This is also a good example of what we look for in high-quality Wuyi Yancha. The fragrance is important, but it should be supported by the body of the tea, the mineral character of the growing area and a long, sweet finish.
What Does Winning First Prize Mean?
Some people may think that because a tea wins First Prize, it means the tea is somehow perfect or magical. I do not think about tea in this way.
A competition result tells us that the raw material and craftsmanship reached a very high standard, but everybody still has their own taste. Some people like a stronger roast, some people like more floral tea, and some people like very strong rock character.
As I always say, in tea there is not one “best” tea for everybody. There is only the tea that is most suitable for you.
But if you would like to understand what a high-quality floral Shui Xian from the Zhengyan area can be like, I think this is a very good tea to try.
You can see the 2026 First Prize Shui Xian here.
Behind Every Spring Harvest
For our family, this award is also an encouragement.
Every spring we spend many weeks making tea, watching the weather, picking at the correct time, controlling the processing, sorting the maocha, roasting, resting, and roasting again.
Many of these small decisions cannot be seen when you look at the finished dry leaves, but they are all inside the cup.
So receiving First Prize for this Shui Xian makes us very happy, and I wanted to share this moment with everyone who has supported our tea over the years.
Thank you for drinking our tea and following our work from Wuyishan.
Cindy
