Organic Shuixian

有机半月山水仙

Harvest
April 2018

Origin
Wuyishan, Fujian

This organic Shuixian comes from Xingcun or “Star Village,” an ancient village located in the Wuyi City area, about a 20 minute drive southwest from the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve.  

Xingcun has a long history; it has been a center for the distribution of teas from the Wuyi region since ancient times. In the 1700’s it was a bustling tea hub where Dutch and English tea drinkers visited to purchase the area’s much loved Lapsang Souchong. Xingcun is nestled between Wuyi Mountain and Tongmuguan Village, (the origin place of this famed Lapsang Souchong, and, as far as we know, the world’s first ever black tea!). 

This Shuixian comes from a farm that has been practicing organic and regenerative farming methods for the past 8 years. It is crafted by a younger tea artisan, Fan Zhiqiang, a generational resident of Xingcun village. As a child, Fan watched his parents and grandparents trade and sell Wuyi Mountain teas. With this connection, he expresses a great love and passion for the landscape and the teas that his hometown offers. His dream has always been to own and farm a small plot of tea in Xingcun, and when the opportunity came up to purchase one he bought it with his life-savings. This is the tea that he has crafted with leaves from his first tea farm. 

Fan makes a traditional style Shuixian: oxidized, and roasted over charcoal in 4 rounds as per traditional methods. It is an excellent showcase of the Shuixian varietal and regional craftsmanship techniques for Rock oolongs: the oxidation is just right and the roasting is not overpowering. 

The taste is clear and clean, gradually moving from the flavours of oxidation to those of roasting. This tea offers an exemplary experience of cliff oolong. It is simple and direct, which makes it excellent for comparative or everyday drinking. 

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Brewing guide