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“Shui Xian is back on the menu for the Old Ways tea club for August 2025, which is a bimonthly offering of various yanchas and a little bit of other teas. At 45 USD it’s a bit on the pricey side for...” Read full tasting note
Higher mountain material from my eldest aunt’s farm. The first impression is a bit more ‘straw’, while I prefer woodier shui xian, but the fragrance is classic creamy smooth stone-fruit.
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Shui Xian is back on the menu for the Old Ways tea club for August 2025, which is a bimonthly offering of various yanchas and a little bit of other teas. At 45 USD it’s a bit on the pricey side for a club subscription, but the selection is interesting and engaging, while not being largely focused on the experimental like many other vendors.
As the ‘darkest’ yancha cultivar, shui xians generally offer a very soupy and warm session with a heavy emphasis on the charcoal roast. The vendors notes on this tea speak of stony and mineral notes, but not much more information than that. It has a medium-strength charcoal pine forest smell off the nose, which is wiped off after the initial rinse (saved for later in traditional Wuyishan fashion – we’ll get back to it later). In fact, I would argue this is on the lighter side for the cultivar, not something I’m particularly excited about but I’m a victim of obsession for this tea type. I concur with the vendor on the taste, a lot of upfront minerality paired with that lasting yancha sweetness on the back of the tongue and a smooth chill at the back of the throat.
Second steep moves towards the spicy, with an incense fragrance note I can’t put my finger on. Definitely nothing woody about it – something more resinous. Third steep off the nose is a little concerning as the tea smells like it is well spent. With shoegaze on in the background, this tea pairs well for an introspective night session, but only because the fog is rolling in here. I prefer shui xian in the winter (along with most yancha, Jan-Mar is the sweet spot season for this tea type, competing with shou puerh), and tonight is ‘cold’ by Californian summer standards.
After the fourth steep there really isn’t anything of note. The longevity just isn’t there for this to be a remarkable yancha, but I love the feeling that it gave me and it complemented the session well. I wouldn’t say that it’s indicative or a particularly noteworthy representative of the cultivar though. Most of the flavor got absorbed into the rinse, which was good but I’m surprised at how light this tea is for a shui xian.
Flavors: Mineral, Watermelon, Wet Rock
