# Shui Jin Gui (水金龜)

*Shuǐ Jīn Guī · Oolong · Fire*

**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.

> By one telling, during a heavy downpour a landslide loosened a boulder bearing a rare tea bush, which rolled to the foot of the neighbouring monastery of Magui. Monks and peasants quarreled over who should keep the bush; in the end they agreed that it had lain down where it itself had wished. The bush came to be called 'the turtle that came down with the gold of water'.

## Terroir

300–600 m. red sandstone, partly with basaltic gravel; more sand than in Tie Luohan. warm mists, gentle sun, frequent rains. 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

- **dry leaf:** long dark twisted strands with a clear golden cast at the edges
- **warmed:** the warmed leaf — honey, ripe melon, warm nut, a faint note of wet stone
- **after pour:** after the infusion — honey molasses, walnut, warm wood, a thin flower
- **taste:** a honey sweetness, nut, damp stone, ripe melon; in long infusions — dark honey and cedar
- **finish:** long, soft, without sharpness; the aftertaste holds for 30 minutes

## Properties

- **TCM:** neutral-warm; nourishes the middle, warms gently, supports stomach and lungs
- **Modern:** rich in natural sugars and melanoidins; gentle stimulation, suits people with sensitive stomachs
- **Cha qi:** slow, warm, settling; felt as a 'slowing' of the breath
- **Caffeine:** 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. honey, ripe melon, walnut, warm pear, light cheese. two over an unhurried conversation; reading alone

## Tea meditation

1. The turtle moves more slowly than you think.
2. Breathe with her.
3. Each sip is a step on warm stone.

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Shui Jin Gui?

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.

### What does Shui Jin Gui taste like?

a honey sweetness, nut, damp stone, ripe melon; in long infusions — dark honey and cedar

### How much caffeine is in Shui Jin Gui?

medium (35–50 mg)

### What are the effects of Shui Jin Gui?

rich in natural sugars and melanoidins; gentle stimulation, suits people with sensitive stomachs

## Related teas

- [Da Hong Pao](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/da-hong-pao)
- [Shui Xian](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/shui-xian)
- [Tie Luo Han](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/tie-luo-han)
- [Oolong](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/oolong)