Shui Jin Gui (水金龜)
archetype: Golden turtle in the water
A golden turtle creeps over wet stone — a slow honeyed strength, an unhurried wisdom.
History
'Shui Jin Gui' — the 'golden water turtle' — is the fourth of the great Wuyi yancha. The leaf is moderately oxidised (40–50 %) and roasted more gently than Da Hong Pao or Tie Luohan, leaving a honeyed sweetness and a sweet nut profile. It differs from the other 'dan cha' precisely by its unhurried, flowing, 'turtle-like' character.
Terroir
The best gardens are Niu Lan Keng and the slopes around Magui; slightly less mineral than Rou Gui, but giving more honey and nut.
Leaf
a honey sweetness, nut, damp stone, ripe melon; in long infusions — dark honey and cedar long, soft, without sharpness; the aftertaste holds for 30 minutes
Properties
rich in natural sugars and melanoidins; gentle stimulation, suits people with sensitive stomachs slow, warm, settling; felt as a 'slowing' of the breath medium (35–50 mg)
Brewing ritual
a yixing pot of 120 ml; 100 °C; 8 g / 120 ml. 10s — a honey sweetness, damp stone; 12s — the peak: ripe melon, warm nut; 15s — a deep woody note, dark honey; 22s — a long sweetness, a mineral base; 35s — a late trail — slow depth; 55s — the turtle has gone under the stone.
When to drink
day and early evening. autumn and shoulder seasons. after the bustle, when you need to slow down and don't want bright sensations