Semi Wild Old Grove Shuixian

This tea comes to us from tea historian and forager, Mei, who seeks indigenous and forgotten Shuixian and Buddha's Hand growing throughout the jungles of Yongchun, Fujian.

Shuixian is one of the most well-known oolong varietals. Its origin can be traced to the Jianyang District in the northern part of the Fujian province, where it was discovered around 1600 as a tea tree that produced exceptionally fragrant oolongs. It was then brought to the Wuyishan area, where it was cultivated, and where most shuixians today come from.

Yongchun shuixian differs from Wuyishan shuixian primarily in its craftmanship. The fresh leaves are less oxidized, and go through several rounds of longer and slower roasting. The leaves for this tea were foraged by a group of 9 local villagers from a small grove on Yinshi Mountain, within the protected Water Conservation area. The trees were planted in the 1940's and abandoned, growing wild ever since.

The tea was then handcrafted by Mr. Liu, one of the most earnest and dedicated tea makers that we've met. It was slow roasted over charcoal in four rounds, bringing out the sweetness and distinct aromatics of the varietal.

This oolong is extremely complex and ever changing in the glass. We find notes of orchid, fresh pandan, stone fruit, deep minerals, wildflower honey and a very long-lingering sweetness. It might be the perfect example of a Fujian shuixian.