Banyan Shui Xian Oolong Tea

Banyan Shui Xian tea is a famous rock oolong whose name translated means “water lily”. Since this tea is a yancha (yan = rock, cha = tea), we already know that its area of origin will be the Wuyi Shan area with its characteristic rocky soil: here, however, we have a further precious clue about its origin.

The Wuyi mountain complex, in fact, is generally divided into four concentric zones, starting from the central one from which the finest teas arrive, called Zhengyan, up to the outer one called Waishan where there is a more intensive and standardized production. In this categorization we find, on the second level, around the Zhengyan, the area called Banyan where there is a soil with a lower rock concentration but which is always well enriched by the river that flows in this area.

The premises of this area mean that the teas harvested here maintain excellent quality and are also much more diverse. Among the different types of yancha, shui xian is very renowned and its cultivar of origin has a very rapid growth capacity and therefore useful for having an excellent yield. Given the abundance of harvested leaves, shui xian can often be found with many different processes: from the most classic, such as that of this yancha, to the most experimental with very different oxidation and / or roasting times.

Tasting – Sight and smell

The leaves of Shui Xian Banyan Tea are rolled and medium in size, intense brown in color with lighter shades between brown and reddish. Once infused, they release an incredible aromatic richness: the nose comes hints of orange peel, biscuit, toasted nuts, charcoal, wet gravel, bitter chocolate, floral and sage notes. In the cup it has a splendid amber gold, with a dense and sometimes creamy body, without roughness.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA

The first infusion of Shui Xian Banyan Tea almost stuns with the richness of flavors that we can recognize on the palate: there are toasted notes reminiscent of almond crunchy, floral notes of orchid, sweet hints of vanilla and monoi as well as a good minerality typical of rock oolongs. With the second infusion the tea becomes even sweeter and creamier while remaining very floral: notes of toffee, butter biscuit and custard appear. The third infusion and the following ones bring out a gentler personality, where the floral notes prevail now more delicate and the hints of coconut and monoi.

WESTERN

The first sip of Shui Xian Banyan Tea is a bouquet of white flowers (magnolia, wisteria and lilac). The taste is sweet, with notes of honey, vanilla and milky scents, almost buttery. You can perceive both toasted notes of almonds and pecans, and mineral notes that perfectly balance the creamy sweetness of the tea. The aftertaste is extremely sweet and tropical, with notes of monoi, pineapple in syrup and coconut. The persistence is long, floral and milky.

Place of origin

Banyan area, Wuyi Shan, Fujian – China

Banyan Shui Xian production

After harvesting, the leaves wither in the sun for some time before moving to a resting phase on indoor bamboo trays. Here it’s where the oxidation starts thanks to a manipulation of the leaves (the shaking) made by the tea master. Once the tea reaches the desired oxidation level (for Banyan Shui Xian tea there is approximately 75% oxidation) the leaves pass into a charcoal-heated oven where the enzymatic activity is blocked. After this phase in the oven, the final shape is given to the leaf thanks to a special machine, before moving on to the leaf roasting cycles that allow you to finish drying the product and enhance its flavors.

How to prepare

We strongly recommend infusing Banyan Shui Xian tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to better enjoy these leaves. By following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.

Heat the water to a temperature of 90°C: proceed to briefly rinse the leaves and then to an initial infusion of 25 seconds. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 5 seconds each time (25 – 30 – 35…).

This tea has a longevity of 6-7 infusions.

For a more classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.

For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the tea as soon as the brewing time is over. The infusion timings we suggest can be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

Black Friday 50