Da Shui Keng Laocong Shui Xian 大水坑老枞水仙 (2025)
Tea Profile
Type: Wuyi Yancha (Rock Oolong)
Location: Da Shui Keng 大水坑, Wuyishan, Fujian Province
Altitude: Around 800 m
Harvest Date: May 3, 2025
Cultivar: Shui Xian 水仙
Age of Tea Bushes: Over 100 years
Roasting Level: Medium charcoal roast
The Story of This Tea
Our family tea garden in Da Shui Keng sits in a semi-rocky mountain area beside a small ditch where the air remains humid and cool. The old Shui Xian trees here are more than a century old, growing under partial shade among tall forest vegetation. This natural environment keeps the soil lively and the ecosystem healthy, and the leaves express the depth of true laocong character. When I processed this tea, the medium charcoal roast revealed the cleanest form of Shui Xian’s flavour without any green or raw edges. The result is a deeply fragrant, structural Yancha shaped by age, place, and careful craftsmanship.
Aroma and Flavour
The first infusion brings a strong woody note that immediately shows the age of the trees. As the session unfolds, elegant orchid fragrance rises, shifting and evolving with each steep. The liquor has a thick, almost rice-soup texture, full-bodied and smooth. The medium charcoal roast creates clarity while preserving depth, allowing both wood and floral tones to shine without harshness. If you enjoy old-growth narcissus, this tea’s complexity and richness are deeply rewarding.
- Aroma: Wood, orchid, evolving floral depth
- Flavor: Direct woody opening, floral lift, clean mineral structure
- Texture: Thick, rice-soup-like, full-bodied
- Aftertaste: Long, sweet, and steady with lingering florals
- Steeping Endurance: 8 to 10 infusions
Brewing Guidelines
Gong Fu Style
- Teaware: Zhuni 朱泥 for aromatic lift, or Zini 紫泥 for deepening wood and sweetness. Porcelain gaiwan for clarity.
- Ratio: 6 to 7 g per 100 ml water
- Water: 95 to 100°C low TDS spring water
- Infusions: Quick rinse, then 5 to 7 seconds to begin, lengthening gradually each round
Western Style
- Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot
- Ratio: 3 to 4 g per 250 ml water
- Water: 95°C
- Steeping: 2 to 3 minutes, with 2 to 3 resteeps as desired
Why Choose This Tea
This Lao Cong Shui Xian comes from century-old trees in our family garden in Da Shui Keng, nurtured in a humid, forested microclimate ideal for developing deep wood and floral character. The medium charcoal roast brings clarity and refinement to a tea already rich in body and complexity. Scarce raw material and careful processing make it a standout choice for anyone who loves old-growth narcissus with true mineral depth, evolving aroma, and a satisfyingly thick texture.