So, right now I am drinking a Wu Yi tea, but it’s not this one. Here’s why: I wasn’t terribly impressed with this tea, and I got worried that maybe my palate had changed and I just wasn’t appreciating Wu Yi teas right now for some reason. So, just to see what was going on, I grabbed some of my favorite Wu Yi tea (YS Golden Guan Yin DHP). Still love the Golden Guan Yin – great minerality, wonderful spice notes, strong fruity aftertaste – so I guess the Lao Cong Shui Xian just wasn’t for me. Let me dive in:
To sum up my experience in one word – flat. It just doesn’t have much in terms of flavor in-mouth or in the aftertaste. Very subdued. On the palate, I didn’t find the liquor to change much in terms of flavor from one infusion to the next. I even heavily leafed my gaiwan (literally stuffed full of leaves), and still – nothing. Just a very monotone delivery.
There is nothing here that tastes bad; it just isn’t very dynamic or memorable. It sort of tastes like the 6th or 7th infusion of some other Wu Yi. And it just stays like that.
Don’t take my word for it – others certainly have had very positive experiences with this tea. However, in terms of flavor and value for money, I would say there are other Wu Yi oolongs that surpass this one.
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Dry leaf – peanut shell, hazelnut, hints of dark chocolate and cinnamon. Hints of tartness like tart raspberry or red currant
Smell – wood, peanut shell, charcoal roast, dry baking spice
Taste – peanut shell, English breakfast tea, charcoal roast, some minerality. Hints of cinnamon and baking spice, cocoa powder. Aftertaste of lemongrass, mild and subdued peach and raspberry. Lemongrass lingers.
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I purchased 12 different (mostly Oolong) teas to sample from Yunnan. The most distinctive so far has been Single Bush “Ya Shi Xang” Dan Cong Oolong, Spring 2016. At the other end of the spectrum was the tea you review here “Lao Cong Shui Xian.” I had the exact same experience of this tea as you did. Kind of forgot what I ordered, so have just been blindly working my way thru tastings, and then going back and re-reading the descriptions. I too thought I might have missed something. But I don’t find any complexity. It’s okay, but as you mentioned, flat. And not an inexpensive tea to boot! Loved your review!
I purchased 12 different (mostly Oolong) teas to sample from Yunnan. The most distinctive so far has been Single Bush “Ya Shi Xang” Dan Cong Oolong, Spring 2016. At the other end of the spectrum was the tea you review here “Lao Cong Shui Xian.” I had the exact same experience of this tea as you did. Kind of forgot what I ordered, so have just been blindly working my way thru tastings, and then going back and re-reading the descriptions. I too thought I might have missed something. But I don’t find any complexity. It’s okay, but as you mentioned, flat. And not an inexpensive tea to boot! Loved your review!