Lao Cong Shui Xian 老枞水仙 (2011)
Tea Profile
Type: Wuyi Yancha (Rock Tea)
Location: Da Shui Keng, Wuyishan, Fujian, China
Altitude: Around 800 m
Harvest Date: Spring 2011
Cultivar: Shui Xian 水仙
Age of Tea Bushes: Over 80 years
Roasting Level: Medium roast
The Story of This Tea
This Lao Cong Shui Xian holds a special place in our story. My husband, Zhou Shiwu, brought it back to Chaozhou when he first came to Wuyishan to study traditional tea processing. It has been quietly resting there ever since, sealed and untouched since 2011. The leaves were carefully roasted only once, then allowed to age naturally for more than fourteen years. Over time, the sharp edges of youth have transformed into a calm, silky balance that only honest, clean storage can achieve. Mature teas like this are increasingly rare today.
Aroma and Flavour
This tea offers a refined expression of aged Shui Xian, graceful rather than intense. Its aroma rises with soft orchid and aged wood, while the flavour flows smoothly with notes of honey, light caramel, and mineral warmth. The body is supple and silky, and the aftertaste lingers with quiet sweetness and the cooling yun that marks true Wuyi Rock Tea maturity.
- Aroma: Orchid, aged wood, light caramel
- Flavor: Honeyed sweetness, gentle minerality, subtle roasted nuts
- Texture: Silky and delicate
- Aftertaste: Lingering sweetness with cooling yun
- Steeping Endurance: 7 to 9 infusions
Brewing Guidelines
Gong Fu Style
- Teaware: Zhuni 朱泥 or Hongni 红泥 Yixing teapot, or porcelain gaiwan
- Ratio: 6 to 8 g per 100 ml water
- Water: 95 to 100°C, preferably soft spring water
- Infusions: Brief rinse, then 6 to 8 seconds for the first infusion; extend gradually by a few seconds each round
Western Style
- Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot
- Ratio: 3 to 4 g per 250 ml water
- Water: About 95°C
- Steeping: 2½ to 3 minutes for the first infusion; increase time slightly for each resteep
Why Choose This Tea
This naturally aged Lao Cong Shui Xian from Da Shui Keng offers the quiet grace that time alone can bring. Sourced from 80-year-old bushes and aged untouched for fourteen years, it captures the essence of clean, mature Wuyi Rock Tea. Smooth, balanced, and softly fragrant, it’s a rare opportunity to experience authentic, naturally aged Shui Xian in its purest form.