If you purchase this product you will earn Shui Xian Oolong Tea
Welcome to this month’s Master Tasting Collection Box #14. This month’s topic is “Classic Shui Xian”. As the name implies, there are three classic types of Shui Xian Oolong Tea, which are Min Bei Shui Xian from the Northern Fujian, Min Nan Shui Xian from the Southern Fujian and Phoenix Shui Xian from Phoenix Mountain in Chao Zhou; and the differences among them have to do with where they are grown. For this month’s box, we have curated three kinds of Shui Xian Oolong Tea from each of the main growing places of Shui Xian, including Wuyi Shui Xian (Min Bei Shui Xian), Zhang Ping Shui Xian(Min Nan Shui Xian) and Shui Xian Dan Cong Oolong Tea (Phoenix Shui Xian).
What’s included in mastertasting collection #14 ?
1. WUYI Shui Xian Oolong Tea (Min Bei Shui Xian) ( 25g )
2. Zhang Ping Shui Xian Oolong Tea (Min Nan Shui Xian) ( 50g )
3. Shui Xian Dan Cong Oolong Tea (Phoenix Shui Xian) ( 25g )
Highlights of THE month’s box
Try three unique kinds of “Shui Xian” from Northern Fujian, Southern Fujian and Phoenix Mountain of Chao Zhou
Wuyi Shui Xian Oolong Tea, as a kind of Min Bei Shui Xian, is also a kind of Yan Cha Rock Tea. You can taste the special Yan Yun (Yan Rhyme) being found in Yan Cha with special soft mouthfeel and floral notes.
Zhang Ping Shui Xian Oolong Tea, a representative Min Nan Shui Xian. You would be impressed by its unique square-shaped appearance and refreshing floral notes specially found in the Oolong produced in Southern Fujian.
Shui Xian Dan Cong Oolong Tea，as a kind of Phoenix Shui Xian, which is also a species of single bush Feng Huang Dan Cong. You would be amazed by the well balanced floral and fruity notes in this unique aroma of Feng Huang Dan Cong grown in Phoenix Mountain.
Wuyi Shui Xian Oolong Tea (Min Bei Shui Xian)
Wuyi Shui Xian Oolong tea is a kind of renowned Wuyi Yan Cha/ Rock Tea, along with other Yan Cha, like Da Hong Pao and Rou Gui and Shui Jin Gui, etc. This Shui Xian Cultivar is naturally grown as 3-5mm arbor tree in the Wuyi Mountain area in Fujian Province, China. It is also a kind of Min Bei Shui Xian, which literally means the northern part of Fujian Province, as “Min” means “Fujian” and “Bei” means “North”.
History and Origin: Wuyi Shui Xian was found in Qing Dynasty (1821-1850). Its origin is from a place called Zhu Xian Dong in Jian Yang, Northern Fujian.
Characteristic: The main characteristics is the Yan Yun岩韻, also called Yan Gu Hua Xiang 岩骨花香；it means the Rock/ Cliffs Rhyme, which is the special layered and lingering mouthfeel and fragrance possessed by Yan Cha. It is smooth and thick in mouthfeel, but in a balanced and soft way, you will find it is softer than other Yan Cha, like Rou Gui and Da Hong Pao. It also possess a soft, sweet and lingering floral and orchid notes. The dry Leaves is tightly twisted in dark green and brown colour, liquor is in bright orange.
Making process: picking leaves , withering, shaking (Yao Qing), Pan-firing (Chao Qing), Rolling, 1st-time Baking, picking the unusing leaves, Jun Dui, 2nd time Baking.
Zhang Ping Shui Xian (Min Nan Shui Xian)
Zhang Ping Shui Xian is a kind of Min Nan Shui Xian, which literally means the southern part of Fujian Province, as “Min” means “Fujian” and “Nan” means “South”. There are two types of Min Nan Shui Xian, including “Yong Chun Shui Xian” and “Zhang Ping Shui Xian”. Yong Chun Shui Xian is twisted in shape while Zhang Ping Shui Xian is square-shaped and being wrapped in a paper. When talking about Min Nan Shui Xian, people is always interested in the special square-shaped Zhang Ping Shui Xian. That’s why we have chosen the interesting and delicious Zhang Ping Shui Xian Tea to represent Min Nan Shui Xian in this tasting box.
History and origin: Zhang Ping Shui Xian is from Zhangping city in Southern Fujian. In 1914, the unique making method of Zhang Ping Shui Xian was being introduced by a local farmer, Mr. Deng Guan Jin. It is made into a very unique squared-shape appearance, the tea is being compressed in a small square-shaped wooden mold, and wrapped in a paper. It is then being bake with the paper on. Thus, people also call it “Zhi Bao Cha紙包茶”, which means Paper-Wrapped Tea.
Characteristic: Despite its unique appearance as a square-shaped mini brick, it is subtle and elegant in its aroma, sweet with lingering notes of orchid and osmanthus. The dry Leaves is tightly pressed in a square shape, both dry and wet leaves shows its unique green colour with red edges, which is resulted from the shaking process (Yao Qing). The liquor is in bright yellow.
Making process: Plucking leaves , Sun-drying (Shai Qing), withering, shaking (Yao Qing), Kill-Green, Rolling, shaping and being compressed into a wooden mold, wrapped in paper, Baking.
SHUI XIAN DAN CONG (FENG HUANG SHUI XIAN)
Feng Huang Shui Xian is also a kind of Phoenix Feng Huang Dan Cong Oolong Tea. People always being confused between “Feng Huang Shui Xian” and “Feng Huang Dan Cong”. In fact, there are three level of grading among the Feng Huang Shui Xian Variety, including Feng Huang Dan Cong(鳳凰單叢）, Feng Huang Lang Cai（鳳凰浪菜） , and Feng Huang Shui Xian（鳳凰水仙）. Feng Huang Dan Cong is the best grade among the three grades of Feng Huang Shui Xian Tea. In simple definition, Feng Huang Shui Xian is the mother of “Feng Huang Dan Cong”. Feng Huang Dan Cong is the Single bush being carefully selected from the Shui Xian Varietal, those selected bushes are then breed as different Dan Cong Trees, creating hundreds kinds of species like Ya Shi Xiang, Mi Lan Xiang, Da Wu Ye, etc. And the “Shui Xian Dan Cong” here is also a species/aroma of Feng Huang Dan Cong.
History and Origin: Feng Huang Shui Xian is being grown since Nan Song Dynasty (1127-1279), the leaves are big and a bit twisted at the end of each leaves, which looks like the mouth of bird, so people called it as “Niao Zui Cha”, which means “Bird’s mouth Tea”. Feng Huang Dan Cong is the Single bush varietal being picked from the Phoenix Shui Xian Varietal. And Shui Xian Dan Cong become a popular kind of aroma among Feng Huang Dan Cong in 20 years ago, like other aroma such as Mi Lan Xiang, Huang Zhi Xiang and Ya Shi Xiang.
Characteristic: The Shui Xian Dan Cong here is distinctive in its high aroma and natural floral and fruity notes, like other Feng Huang Dan Cong. It is sweet and lingering in its aroma, with some charcoal notes. The dry Leaves is tightly twisted, in dark brown colour. The liquor is in bright yellowish-orange.
Making process: Plucking leaves , Sun-drying (Shai Qing), withering, shaking (Yao Qing), Kill Green, Rolling, and Baking.
